Night Watch: The Lost Other
by Cannonade
Summary: No where to put this Night Watch fic but here, so here it is! An English girl travels to Moscow and finds out she is an Other of great power.
1. Chapter 1

**Night Watch: The Lost Other**

**Chapter 1**

Anton woke early that morning in the dark. He hadn't done so in a while so it seemed obvious that he was due another early morning. He stretched and got out of bed, yawning and brushing off the dust that had settled onto his hooded jumper over night. He looked out of the window at the Russian winter snowfall, glancing down at the snowdrifts piled up around people's cars.

Sighing, he stripped off his clothes and went into the bathroom, starting up the shower. He stepped in and grabbed the soap bottle, squeezing some out and sliding it over his body. He tried desperately to remember what he had dreamt about last night; he knew it was no more flashbacks from when he first met the Night Watch. His dream had been vague, that was all he could remember. He stood under the water jet and washed off the soap, raising his head to it and feeling the water run down his face between the prickly hairs on his chin.

Then he suddenly remembered. There had been a girl on a plane; an English girl, probably close to her early twenties. A pretty, intelligent girl, but no one he had seen before except in previous visions. She was Lost; a Lost Other who would soon find her way to Moscow and make her choice. Anton sighed and turned off the shower, stepping out and grabbing a towel off the rail. He'd talk to Geser about it later, he thought as he dried himself. He pulled his trousers on again, staring at himself in the mirror; he had slept badly and his appearance reflected it.

He reached into the cabinet for his razor, smothering his face with shaving foam. He lightly skimmed the razor over his beard, washing of the remaining bits of foam and leaving a generous coating of stubble behind. He left the bathroom, pulling his white T-shirt and grey jumper back on before entering the kitchen. Anton sighed; there was bugger all in here as usual. He picked up the nearest bottle of vodka and drained a few millimetres before grabbing his coat and leaving his flat. He shut the door, pausing briefly in the corridor as his vision blurred. He fell back against the wall, momentarily reaching into his pocket and taking out his shades to place over his eyes. Regaining his balance, he crossed the hallway to the staircase but was cut short by the sound of a door opening behind him.

"Hey Anton."

Anton stopped and turned round.

"Morning Kostya," he grumbled.

"You're up early again," the young Vampire replied.

"Out to work."

"They keep you up this early?"

"And late, too."

"Hmm, see you later."

Anton nodded and left, Kostya watching as he made his way slowly down the stairs.

"Are you drunk again?" he called down to him.

There was a pause. "No."

Kostya nodded, watching his friend leave.

"Of course," he added, shutting the door.

Anton trudged through his way out into the snow, heading towards the stairs down into the underground. The wind was even worse down here, blasting ice cold against his unshaven face. He stood and waited for the train, pilling on it with the rest of the passengers. He sat down as the train moved away, looking around him and almost expecting to see the girl from his dreams. But there was no sign. He put his head in his hands; did she even exist?

As the train neared the city centre, Anton hadn't found much time to think about it. He'd let Geser device if he was seeing visions again or if he was just fantasising about foreign women on planes. Was this the effect of drinking far too much vodka beginning to take its toll on his gift of visions? That was another one for Geser. He made his way back up to street level, the snow falling on his slicked back dark hair. After walking through the snow covered streets of Moscow, he eventually met up with Bear outside of the Gorsvet building. The Russian stared at him for a while, brushing back a few tangles of his thick black hair out of face.

"You look like crap," he commented.

"Like I feel then Ilya," Anton replied.

"You drink far too much."

"Only a bit; I am Russian after all."

"So are we all, but you still drink far too much."

The two of them entered the doors of the Gorsvet Headquarters, meeting up with Tiger Cub on the inside. Anton left them alone to their conversation, climbing the stairs to the top of the building where Geser's office was. He'd had a vision six months ago when he saw an English girl dreaming of Moscow; a Lost Other wondering why she could do strange things with her thoughts. But this vision was different; it was the same woman, but different.

He entered Geser's office, moving over to the far end where the Gorsvet boss was sat behind his desk. Geser looking up as Anton walked in, standing in front of him on the other side of his cluttered desk.

"What can I do for you Anton?" Geser asked.

"I've seen her again," he replied.

"The English girl you mean?"

"Yes."

"Here?"

"No, in one of my dreams again."

"Is this the same one as before?"

"No, the same girl, but a different dream."

"So what do you see now Anton?"

"Before, as you already know, I saw an English girl who was at home thinking of Moscow. She wanted to find out why she was doing all these unusual things with her mind. You though she was a Lost Other."

"And I still think so."

"But this time it was different. She was at an airport and then on a place and landing at another airport. She seemed determined to find out why she was not like other people and she'd find out when she landed."

"Which airport, Anton?"

"London Heathrow."

"Destination?"

"I can't… wait! Sheremetyevo 2 with Aeroflot!"

"Did you see a flight number?"

"Yes. It was SU145."

Geser leaned back in his seat.

"What do you think?" Anton asked.

"Don't worry, I don't think you're insane," Geser smiled.

"Is this the future what I'm seeing?"

"I think this Lost Other of yours is coming home."

He picked up one of the phones on his desk and dialled the number for the analytical department. He waited for the other end to pick up, tapping his fingers on the edge of desk, impatiently.

"Analytical department," replied the man.

"Anatoly, it's about Anton's vision," Geser stated.

"What about it?"

"We think and English woman is trying to get to Moscow sometime in the future. Anton saw her on an Aeroflot flight from London Heathrow to Sheremetyevo 2, flight number SU-145. Can you find it?"

"Hang on, I'll check for you."

On the other end, Geser could hear the sound of Anatoly frantically tapping away at a computer keyboard. There was long paused, followed by a few mouse clicked before he replied.

"I've only managed to get a week of Aeroflot services," Anatoly replied. "This is the journey from London Heathrow to Moscow Sheremetyevo 2. None of them have a flight number SU-145."

"Anything close?" Geser asked.

"An SU-156, SU-144 and SU-148."

"Hmm, not quite."

He rested the phone against his shoulder.

"Are you certain it was 145, Anton?" he questioned.

He nodded. "Positive."

Geser grimaced and lifted the phone back against his ear.

"Could you keep an eye out for it Anatoly?"

"I'll try," Anatoly replied.

"Good man."

Geser put the phone down, turning back to Anton.

"Anything else?" he asked.

"Not today," Anton replied.

"Let me know if anything else comes up."

Anton nodded and got to his feet, making to leave but Geser stopped him.

"Go home and sober up," he said. "You look awful."

A week later…

Vsevolod Ruslanovich Kepalenko locked up the rear of the pub as he finished cleaning the bar and the small kitchen. The owners had gone to bed for the night upstairs above the pub and he had promised to lock up after cleaning. He drew his leather jacket around him as the ice cold wind coming across from Siberia hit him across the street as he trudged on through the snow. He stopped at the bus stop, checking his watch. Within luck, he'd get a return ride any moment.

"Hungry Vsevolod?" asked a voice.

Vsevolod turned round to face the man who spoke.

"Get away from me Zavulon," he stated.

"You didn't answer my question," the Day Watch boss insisted.

"I no longer feed on the living, you know that."

"But the Hunger will never leave you."

"Maybe it will if I suppress it long enough… and with Geser's help."

"You are a Vampire Vsevolod; a Dark Other."

"I am no longer an officer of the Day Watch."

Zavulon smiled. "You could have had her, you know."

"I did not wish to take her life from her."

"You could have had her for eternity!"

"I had a brief, three day affair with a woman I hardly knew. I have no right to go around taking people's lives at will, licence or no licence. To keep her forever, I would have to have asked Night Watch for permission."

"You felt no Hunger for her?"

"I did, but then something changed."

"She left you, Vsevolod."

"I only found out she was married when she returning to England. I loaded her cases for her and expected to get some kind of contact number from her. Instead, she told me that she was already married and could no longer keep contact with me. It hurt, and I realised that I could no longer keep killing people to feed. So I stopped and I left Day Watch to get help from Geser. I am gradually learning how to find my lost humanity and I need to tell myself that I am no longer afraid."

You're making a mistake, Vsevolod!"

"No, the mistake was taking the easy option."

"You're destroying yourself over a woman!"

"I made a choice long ago to become a Dark Other and then be an officer of the Day Watch. But people make bad choices and then you see that you only took the easy option. I was young and careless; I never thought things through before I went with you. But now, once the Inquisition examined my case and cleared it, I've asked Geser to allow me to amend my decision."

"We don't like to lose an Other; we can all feel it."

"I should have never chosen to destroy my Light."

"But you were so eager to become Dark."

"When I was young. But I have a choice Zavulon, and I want to be human again."

Zavulon nodded. "Your bus, Vsevolod."

Vsevolod turned round and saw the bus pulling into his stop. He stepped onto it, paid for his ticket, and sat down to look out of the window. Zavulon had gone from his position leaning against the bus shelter, drawn away by the glaring lights of the bus headlamps. Vsevolod sighed and settled down as the bus pulled away; turning to watch the Kremlin wall as it flashed passed him. Zavulon was right; as a teenager, he had longed to become Dark, but only because the life style of the Dark Others appeared 'cooler' than the Light. Now he was older and more sensible, he desperately wanted back the Light he'd so foolishly thrown away. Geser was a good man in helping him try to regain his lost humanity.

His bus stopped at the inner city suburb, Vsevolod filing off with some of the other passengers. He crossed the road into the concrete car park of the first flat block, having to walk a little way to reach his own. In the car park of his flat block, he spotted a yellow Gorsvet truck parked by the entrance with a familiar, podgy form standing outside it, smoking. He walked over to it, his hands still warming in his pockets.

"Evening Semyon," Vsevolod noted.

"Behaving yourself?" the van driver asked.

"Yes of course! Same things as normal. Drop by to the butchers shop, get a few more supplies off Kostya's father and got to work. I'm getting their slowly. Even if I do get my humanity back, my former loyalties do mean that I have to remain neutral. And I will always be a Vampire."

"Geser worked out your situation with Zavulon."

"I only wish to live side by side with my neighbours."

"And you will do so in peace, friend!"

"I hope so."

Semyon tossed the rest of the cigarette into a snowdrift.

"It'll be alright in the end," he noted.

Vsevolod nodded. "Has Geser said anything else about this so-called Lost Other? The one Anton keeps having these visions about?"

"Just the usual rabble."

"Hmm, she is Light but comes from Dark."

"Something like that. Ilya says he's mad."

"Who, Geser or Anton?"

The two of them laughed.

"Come on Semyon!" Tiger Cub shouted from the van. "Leave the poor man along. He needs to sleep, not try to understand Anton's daydreams."

"I was just wondering if he knew anything."

"If Geser and Anton don't know, then why should he?"

Semyon laughed. "I see your point."

He turned back to Vsevolod.

"Sorry to keep you up so late, I know you need to stay in good trim for work," he apologised. "I was just wondering if you'd heard anything from Zavulon or the Day Watch about this Lost Other."

"Not that I recall."

"Hmm. Ah well, Anton's visions are normally as clear as mud!"

"And as mixed up as your brain!" Tiger Cub called again. "Get in, or I'll tighten up your seatbelt!"

"Don't you dare!" Semyon shouted back.

"Then you'll have to loose weight!"

"I don't need to, and I don't really want to."

"Then you can lengthen this damn thing yourself!"

Semyon rolled his eyes skyward. "That told me."

"Good evening Semyon," Vsevolod noted.

"I'll catch up with you later."

Semyon left Vsevolod as he entered his flat, jogging back over to his yellow Gorsvet truck. He opened the door, Tiger Cub shifting back over into the centre next to Bear as he sat down in the driver's seat. Semyon fastened the seatbelt across his podgy stomach, relaxing as he started the engine.

"Have you spoken to Anatoly yet?" Tiger Cub asked.

"About what?" Semyon asked.

"Checking Aeroflot flights."

"I know! I'd spoken to him the other day."

"Has he found the SU-145 yet?"

"Yes, it's the end of next week."

Bear and Tiger Cub glanced at each other, turning back to look at Semyon.

"Are you serious?" they asked.

"Of course!" Semyon replied. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"What time does it get in?"

"12:30 in the afternoon. That's 3:30 Moscow time."

"Have you told Anton about this?"

"I plan to when I can get hold of him."

"He's a little absent sometimes, I admit," Bear noted.

Semyon nodded. "Being at the vodka and trying to protect Vsevolod at the same time; he's over working himself far too much! Zavulon knows that it's his decision, but he doesn't like the 'defection' as he calls it. All Vsevolod wants to do is live alone and work in peace like a normal human being."

"Pity Zavulon wont accept it."

"Well he'll have to," Tiber Cub noted, defiantly.

"Too right he will."

Semyon nodded and lit up another cigarette, slamming his foot down on the accelerator and driving back onto the road.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Worcester, West Midlands, United Kingdom

Anna Smith left her college early on the break up for Christmas. As usual, she walked to the bus stop alone with her headphones on, listening to Russian rock music. Not that she understood a word of it, but the lead singer had such a good voice; the only decent male voice she'd ever heard. So deep it sent shivers down her spine. She just felt comfortable listening to foreign music than typical, modern Western bands who pretty much sung about the same, boring subject.

She's been fiddling with the inside of computers pretty much all day, but a complete advanced course in engineering took up a lot of time. The building site soon distracted her from her thoughts as she turned to regard two, well built young men lifting up a large, thick plank of wood. The younger one with the stubble whistled at her and winked, she responding by waving back. She walked ahead down to the bus stop at the hospital, smirking happily. She loved watching the builders at work; the only good thing about the summer was the top naked men on building sites.

As she reached the hospital, she saw several college students waiting by the bus stop, no doubt waiting for the bus that was free for the under 19s. She had no choice to buy proper bus passes being a mature student; 21 year olds didn't get free bus travel. And besides, using a free bus wasn't going to help pay the bus driver's wages or bus engineering fees. The paid buses also ran more frequently. She saw her bus; the orange 31 pull in just as the battery in her mp3 player ran out. She sighed, watching the bus pull to a halt and, unsurprisingly, none of the other students went over to it. Anna took out her bus pass and crossed over to it, meeting the bus driver on his way out. To her pleasant surprise, it was her Russian friend Maxim Berezkev who had come over Vladivostok in Siberia to drive here.

"Alright Maxim?" she greeted.

"Brilliant with this new cold, easterly wind!" Maxim replied, cheerfully.

"Are you not leaving yet?"

"No, I've got ten minutes."

The two of them walked away from the empty bus through the crowd of college students and sitting down on one of the benches. Maxim watched as the orange and purple coloured bus, Express Route 3, pulled into the bus stop.

"You're too old for the free buses aren't you?" Maxim noted.

"By two years," Anna replied. "Not the main reason why I don't use them."

"I'd miss seeing you if you did. I hate driving them!"

"Can you refuse to drive a route then?"

"Not really, but my friends get me out of it."

"Missing you isn't really the main reason, either."

He smirked. "I'm hurt!"

"That's the main reason."

She nodded her head in the direction of the bus, Maxim regarding it critically. All the seats were taken and half of the people who wanted to get on it were still queuing up for it. Once it was full, it was packed all the way along to the end and the bus looked very sluggish as it pulled away and turned the corner out of sight.

"I see what you mean," Maxim noted.

"I couldn't stand so many people around me," Anna replied.

"What if they were all half naked young builders?"

"Now that's a completely different situation!"

"So you wouldn't mind that then?"

"Not at all, but that's only likely to happen in my dreams."

"You have strange dreams, Anna."

"I know I do."

Maxim shook his head and smirked, glancing over at her and smiling. He stretched and rested his arm along the back of the bench behind her.

"You are brilliant, you know," he commented.

"It's nice of you to say that," Anna replied.

"If you were twenty years older and closer to my age, I'd got for you in a second!"

"A privilege I would probably accept."

"Hmm, but we're only friends. There's someone out there for you somewhere."

"Do you think so?"

"Yeah, without a doubt."

Maxim glanced down at his watch.

"Five minuets," he stated. "Come on."

They got to their feet, heading back over to the orange line 31 as another Express Route, this time number 2, pulled in to pick up the remaining students. Maxim entered the small bus, opened the door and to the driving compartment and climbing inside.

"Are you not married Maxim?" Anna queried.

He laughed. "I was six years ago when I first moved."

"Why would anyone want to leave you?"

"Hmm, it's a sad story Anna."

"I don't mind sad stories."

Maxim sighed and looked at her. "In Vladivostok, my wife suggested I move to England to get better pay. So I applied for a placement at First Bus Worcester, got a work Visa and a plane ticket for both of us. When we got to Heathrow, a man was there to meet my wife; apparently she forgot to tell him I was coming to. She told me he was just a friend, so we moved into the new place. The next day, what did I find in the post but a set of divorce papers. After a lot of shouting, she eventually told me that she only married me because I was an easy route into England seeing as I was paid low in Russia. She used me to get here so she could flirt with rich, English businessmen and I never saw it coming. What a stupid fat Russian I am."

"Oh Maxim, that's not true."

She smiled at his sad face.

"You're one of the nicest men I know."

"Thanks Anna."

She sat back down as Maxim's phone rang, listening as he answered it. Normally, when he answered his phone, he was speaking in Russian. Expectedly, he answered the call with the usual 'allo, Maxim Berezkev'. That simply meant yes. However, what happened next Anna did not expect. He spoke in his usual fast, fluent Russian and she understood every word he said. How strange. After a lot of harsh words, he eventually ended with 'Pashly!' and flipped down the lid with anger.

"My ex-wife wants more money!" he growled. "Stupid bitch."

He turned to Anna, who looked shocked.

"Do you want a translation there?" he asked, smirking.

She didn't reply, but continued to stare straight ahead out of the bus windscreen in shock, absently. The irritation on Maxim's face was soon replaced by concerned as he regarded his friend.

"Anna?" he queried.

She looked at him. "Sorry."

"Do you want a translation?" he asked again.

"No. I understood what you said clearly."

He paused. "I didn't think you could speak Russian."

"I can't Maxim, but I understood you clearly."

"Then what did I say?"

"You first asked 'why the fuck do you keep ringing me'. After her reply, you said 'I own the house, I got it after I applied for a Visa, so I don't need to pay you especially now you live with that rich English bastard'. There was another reply, which sounded rather loud and you ended with 'go away' before you put the phone down."

"That's exactly right, yes."

"But I've never even learnt Russian!"

"I know. I remember the last time I was on the phone talking to my brother Vyacheslav. I was speaking Russian then and you looked rather surprised at how fast and confusing it sounded. You even asked what the hell was going on about. You remember that, don't you?"

"I certainly do."

Maxim sighed. "Come on, let's go."

He pushed the button to shut the doors, leaving behind a few people who possibly wanted the 303 to Kidderminster or the red 44 to Malvern. He turned the bus through the corner and drove around the hospital before eventually leaving the complex for the main road. Anna left her seat and stood up front near the driver's compartment, leaning against a pole for support.

"You commented on my strange dreams," she stated.

"About the builders you mean?" Maxim queried.

"They are normal dreams from what I usually have."

He glanced at her in the mirror. "You're troubled, I see."

"I keep dreaming of Moscow."

"I also dream of Moscow; I don't know many Russians who don't! My brother lives there, but he grew up in Vladivostok like me. I stayed in my home city for my work and he left for the Capital for his."

"I don't mean like that."

"Then how?"

She sighed. "This may seem a little weird, but there's no other way I can really express it. I can do strange things with my mind. I found it out a few years back when I was 10 years old. We had a power cut and I was afraid of the dark. I lit a light bulb by simply wishing it to come on so I could see. Ever since, I've been able to do strange things like that, and I actually assumed that other people could also do them. I said nothing until one day at school I had to, and then everyone bullied me because they thought I was a freak. I knew that what I had was unnatural and something now tells me that I need to go to Moscow to find out why."

"Hmm, kids can be so cruel."

"What do you think Maxim?"

"I don't think you're unnatural at all."

"Do you know why Moscow?"

"Excuse me a moment."

Anna sat back down as Maxim pulled the bus into a stop to collected a few people who were waiting. She watched as Maxim took their change and handed out tickets before shutting the doors and driving off.

"I finish my shift now until six," Maxim stated.

"You'll have a nice long break then," Anna commented.

"We'll finish this conversation in the bus station."

Anna nodded and turned to regard the views flashing passed the window, leaving Maxim to concentrate on the road. People had already begun to put their decorations up for Christmas, but it didn't feel like the right time of year. There was no snow and it wasn't cold; only a bit of rain and temperatures around 8 or 9°C. Some places in the world only even reached those temperatures in the summer. Anna took a free Metro newspaper from up front and looked at the small weather forecast section. Moscow was -9°C currently and snowing. That would feel more like Christmas.

"Where are you going on holiday this year?" Maxim asked her.

They had now driven along the main road into town.

"No idea," Ana replied.

"You normally end up spending the week around New Year with me because your family always end up going away for some winter sun. Mad if you ask me! This country's warm enough as it is in the winter. Will I be expecting you again this year?"

"It depends where they go. Last year it was Spain, the year before was Florida and the year before that was Mexico. My mother and my sixteen year old sister choose to go away to hot climates every year to avoid the British winter. I prefer cold snowy climates where there are no beaches and the temperatures are always below freezing. I cannot stand hot climates, which is why I always remain behind."

"You said your mother got promoted?"

"She did, so maybe we could afford something better this year."

"Where would you like to go?"

"Oh maybe Germany, Norway, Switzerland, Finland, Czech Republic, Poland; somewhere like that. Perhaps even Russia! But my mother would probably prefer South Africa or Australia."

"If they don't take you to Russia, perhaps I will."

She smiled. "Thanks Maxim."

They drove passed the road into the city centre, Anna ignoring the advertisements for tanning salons and breaks for winter sun. Florida, New Orleans, Belize, Tenerife; who wanted that horrible weather in winter? How about Prague, Turin, Moscow, Berlin, Zurich, Warsaw or Helsinki? Nice proper winter snow and freezing temperatures. That was a much nicer thought to keep in her mind as Maxim drove the bus into the bus station and parked into the space.

He opened the doors and switched off the engines, giving the thumbs up to his replacement driver. All the people got off, Anna getting to her feet last and joining Maxim as he climbed out of the driving compartment. He picked up his bag and got off the bus, letting the other driver get on and leading Anna away. They sat on the bench opposite the stop for Anna's connection bus, the yellow 35.

"You said you could do strange things," he said.

"Yes," Anna replied. "With my mind."

"Like what?"

She thought about it and eventually came up with an idea. She took her mp3 player out of her pocket and unravelled the headphone cord she'd wound around it. She took off the battery casing and took out the battery, showing it to Maxim.

"This battery dies today," she stated.

"I saw you taking your headphones off as I drove in," Maxim agreed, nodding his head affirmatively. "It's irritating when that happened, but batteries never seem to last very long."

"This is a Nickel Metal Hydride battery."

"Rechargeable then."

"Yes. I can charge this using a charger at home."

Maxim watched as Anna took the battery in her hand, placing her thumb over the flat negative end and her middle finger over the positive end.

"I can charge this batter," she stated.

"But that's not possible," Maxim replied.

"Feel my hand Maxim."

He glanced at her slightly before putting his hand over hers. His eyes widened in surprise, removing his hand from hers and turning back to stare at her.

"It's hot!" he proclaimed.

"Exactly," she replied.

Anna reduced her grip on the battery. She handed it and her mp3 player to her Russian friend, who was surprised to find that the battery was warm like a freshly charged one. He put it back inside the mp3 player and put the cover back on, pressing the power button. Amazingly, the device turned on and the power indicator was showing three full battery bars.

"Brilliant," he mumbled.

"How much power?" Anna asked.

"The battery is fully charged!"

She nodded. "What takes about six hours to charge in a battery charged plugged into a 230V mains supply only takes a few seconds in my hand. Simply by willing it to charge, I can have full power again when the battery dies. That is how much I feel I need that mp3 player."

She took it off Maxim and turned it off.

"But that's not all."

She put it back into her pocket and continued.

"I can make light bulbs work! The car battery was dead and my mother phoned up a chap to come and fix it. By simply touching it, I was able to refresh the electrolyte and charge it up. Through a power failure, I managed to keep my PC on while I was flashing the BIOS. I can work the portable TV and laptop without batteries!"

"It's almost like you can generate electricity."

"I know; it's remarkable."

"So if that's the case, why rely on batteries to do the work of powering devices? Why not just run the machines yourself? It'll save buying batteries and recharging them when they run out."

"Doing this is very draining Maxim. I cannot operate a device like a laptop for more than an hour before I feel completely shattered. If I charge the battery, it takes a few seconds up to a few minutes depending on the battery capacity, and that's only until it runs out. Using my ability in short bursts rather than long time operations is not as tiring, so I don't feel like crap."

"So, you prefer to operate as a charger rather than a mains supply?"

She smirked. "You could put it that way."

"It might be unfair to ask you to charge my batteries."

"I'd do anything for you, Maxim."

He smiled and put an arm across her shoulders.

"I have something you need to know," he said.

"What?" Anna questioned.

"My brother Vyacheslav moved to Moscow as I told you, but I've kept it a big secret why and what he does there. He was born with a special kind of gift that enabled him to do strange things, like read people's thoughts. Apparently, there are some Russians who can do these things and they all work for some kind of corporation. Vyacheslav always said it was safer for me to move to England because all of the action happens in Russia. He likes to check up on me from time to time."

"You've never really talked about him much."

"I promised never to tell anyone."

"Let me guess, no one would believe you."

"Exactly. If you do get to go to Moscow, I'd like to encourage you to find my brother; his full name is Vyacheslav Romanovich Berezkev. If he doesn't recognise your name, just tell him you're a friend of Maxim."

"Alright. If I go to Moscow."

"If not, then I'll hold you to my promise."

Maxim winked at her and smiled.

"Here's your 35," he observed.

"I'll see you soon."

That evening, Anna was sat downstairs watching the rain dripping down the window pain. Her mother Sarah was in the kitchen and her sister Kate was upstairs getting ready to go to the cinema with her friends. Anna glanced down at her watch; how could anyone take so long putting a few clothes on? It wasn't as if she wore many in the first place. Anna sighed and glanced at the light switch; it'd be getting dark soon.

"Everything alright Anna?" Sarah asked.

Sarah came back into the room and sat down opposite her daughter.

"Fine," Anna replied.

"Kate's going to get wet," Sarah noted, observing the rain.

"I guess she won't be wearing a water proof, then."

"What Kate? No, of course not!"

"She's not sensible and her dress code is disgusting."

"I'm not keen on it myself."

"Why don't you tell her not to?"

"Because she won't listen."

"She'll get raped one of these days."

Anna shook her head as the door opened and Kate walked in, in her usual fashion. High heels, miniskirt and a strappy top under a long coat; she'd strip that off in the cinema. Kate was waiting desperately to turn 18 so that she could go in the nightclubs and was envious of Anna being old enough to do so, especially when she didn't go to them.

"How long have you got?" Anna asked.

"20 minutes," Kate replied.

"A good time to discuss holiday plans," Sarah noted.

"Australia this year mum?" Kate asked, hopefully.

Sarah smiled at her youngest daughter and Anna's heart fell; it was looking as though she'd be staying behind again. However, Sarah then turned to glance at her eldest daughter's expression, thought about something and continued.

"Not this year," she noted.

Kate turned to Anna. "Still friends with that Russian bus driver?"

"Of course," Anna replied.

"I love the sunshine! I'll be glad to leave winter behind for a week."

"We go to hot climates every year," Sarah cut in. "We all know that Anna gets badly ill in hot climates, especially the humid ones. Perhaps we'll do something different this year. It never feels like a family holiday if Anna gets left behind, and it's not always fair on Maxim."

"Maxim's happy to let me stay," Anna noted.

"Where would you like to go?"

"Really? You're asking me?"

"But she'll pick somewhere cold!" Kate protested.

"Come on Kate, be fair please," Sarah replied.

Anna thought about it; there were several places that instantly came into her mind as great destinations. There were loads of Swiss ski resorts where you could eat chocolate and have skiing lessons. There was Prague which would look beautiful in the snow and she could sit in pubs and drink beer with the gorgeous Czech men. But then Maxim's words came into her head. There could only be one place.

"Moscow," Anna said, finally.

"The capital of Russia!" Sarah proclaimed.

"I feel a real need to go to Moscow."

"I guess so; it always looks so pretty."

"I've heard it's supposed to be the most beautiful city in Europe."

"What are the temperatures like in Moscow?" Kate asked.

"At the moment, somewhere below freezing!"

"Then you'll need to dress sensibly Kate," Sarah noted critically. "No miniskirts and strappy tops. Tights under trousers and roll neck jumpers under fleeces I think! I'm sure Moscow will be lovely."

"Who can speak Russian?"

"Can you Anna?" Sarah asked.

She remembered talking to Maxim on the bus. "Yes."

"Good, then you can get us around!"

"Can we really go to Moscow?"

"Of course Anna. I'll book the flights tonight."

At that, there was a sudden rumble of thunder and a short, sharp flash of lightning. They all jumped, Kate screaming and backing away into the window. Anna turned to look outside, watching the street lights flicker. Lightning at this time of year was strange. Suddenly, a blast of hail came down followed by a second explosion of thunder and a gigantic fork of lightning. All of a sudden, they were plunged into darkness as the lights cut out.

"Oh no!" Anna cried.

"It's alright Anna," Sarah replied.

"I can't see a bloody thing."

"We'll have to wait for the power to come on."

"I need light."

"Look who's scared of the dark," Kate sneered.

"Be quiet Kate," Sarah snapped. "You're scared of spiders."

"I need light!" Anna exclaimed, starting to panic.

"Cool down dear, it'll come back on soon."

"Now!"

There was a flash of light from the bulb on the ceiling. It was followed by another short, sharp surge, but the darkness soon returned. Moments later, the living room light came back on and the room was flooded with light. Anna was sat on the sofa with her head in her hands, not moving and not saying anything. But it didn't stop there; the kitchen light came on, followed by the hall light and the other lights in the rest of the house. Sarah and Kate looked at Anna, who still wasn't moving.

"Are you doing that Anna?" Sarah asked.

Anna suddenly got to her feet and looked around, glancing at her hands and looking around frantically. She began waving her hands, seemingly swatting at invisible flies, or something similar. Then she suddenly collapsed on the floor, her skin pale and her eyes still open. Sarah got off the chair and sat down besides her daughter, tapping her cheeks and trying to bring her round, but it took no effect. Kate stepped back slightly, cutting her finger on something sharp behind her on the table. The blood dripped to the floor and at that moment, the lights went off again.

Sarah suddenly felt Anna stir on the ground, listening to another, more distance crack of thunder. She got to her feet and entered the kitchen, fumbling about and eventually finding a torch. She dashed back to her daughter in the living room and turned on the torch, filling the room with a dim orange glow. Anna slowly sat up and glanced at her hands before looking around.

"Are you alright?" asked her mother.

"It was so dark," Anna replied, quietly.

"Well stupid," Kate sneered. "It's a power cut."

"I don't mean the power cut! It was a different kind of darkness and I seemed to be drawn into it the moment I willed the lights to turn themselves on. Once I made them do it, the darkness consumed me and…"

"Wait, you turned the lights on?"

Anna glanced down at Kate's finger.

"You're bleeding," she stated.

"I know," Kate grumbled. "One of your damn circuits."

"That's a Creative Sound Blaster Live…"

"I don't care! It cut me!"

"Then it was your blood that brought me out of the darkness."

There was the sudden sound of a car horn beeping outside and Kate glanced out of the window. After moments of standing up on tip toe and peering, she made a girlish wave to whoever she saw. She walked over to the door to leave, but soon turned back to look at Anna.

"You're a real freak, you know that?" she stated.

And with that she left, flicking round her blonde hair before opening the front door and pulling it shut. Anna sat back down on the sofa and sighed, reaching down and picking up the torch on the floor. Sarah eventually returned with more, setting them on the shelves to light the room.

"Is that better?" Sarah asked.

"Thank you," Anna replied.

"Just ignore your sister; she doesn't really understand you."

"I guess it's because I'm a little older."

"And you're much more mature."

"Why does she act like such a slut? I mean, where does she get it from?"

"Peer pressure Anna, that's all."

"Then she should fight it!"

"Maybe you found it easy, but it's difficult for her."

Anna sighed. "She'll regret it later."

"So, I bet she'll end up pregnant and ruin her life."

"Do you not find that thought rather horrible?"

"Of course I do, but she won't listen to me."

"Maybe she will do in Moscow."

At that, the lights came back on again, including the video recorder and the microwave, the clocks both flashing at them wanting to be reset. Sarah sighed and got to her feet, turning off all the torches.

"Do you have Maxim's number?" she asked.

Anna nodded. "Of course."

"He might be worried about you."

Anna fetched down the cordless phone from the receiver, but turned back briefly to observe her mother.

"Do you think I can really turn the lights on?" she asked.

"No," Sarah replied. "It was just a power surge."

She left the room, Anna sighed and dialling Maxim's number.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

December 26, London Heathrow Airport…

Sarah had left the car in the airport car park and the three of them dragged their suitcases towards the airport bus. Anna had her headphones on in the car and she now found that she could understand all the lyrics in the Russian songs. It was odd, but it stood in good stead for their holiday to Moscow. She'd be able to speak to all the Russian people, and maybe even chat up Russian men. What a thought!

They entered the Heathrow terminal via the main entrance once they'd got off the airport bus. This was the first time Anna had been to Heathrow; her mother and sister had been many times, but she never came with them when they'd flown from here. Apparently, Kate liked the shops, but Anna was only interested in the Duty Free, and possibly a few book shops. She looked up at the boards displaying the flight times, looking over at the departures board, but there was more than one Aeroflot flight.

"What time is our flight?" Anna asked.

"8:10 departure," Sarah replied. "With Aeroflot."

Anna returned her gaze to the boards.

"Ah, SU-145 then."

"Sound about right."

They walked over to the check in desks, Anna looking around at all the passengers, particularly the male ones. Some where very Russian in appearance and speaking away in a harsh, Slavic language. The man who stood out the most was a man similar in build to Maxim; fairly tall and rather stocky. He also had a stubbly face and head, and wore a long black leather coat, khaki combats and sunglasses. Sunglasses indoors and in winter? How strange. He had no suitcase with him, only a back pack and he appeared to be alone. He looked watchful, especially as he got his ticket off the man at the desk. As he left the area, Anna was sure that he had looked in her direction, although his shades hid his eyes.

"What are you looking around for?" Kate asked.

"I've never been to Heathrow before," Anna replied.

"Then you should have come with us before."

"You know I hate hot weather and beach holidays."

"The shops are the best things in Heathrow."

"And the planes…"

Anna trailed off and glanced around, spying a group of four men, all of whom were unshaven and had dark hair. They were talking in Russian about how expensive it was to by alcohol in England. One of them, who had dark blue eyes, dark hair and stubble turned to regard Anna. He smiled and winked at her, Anna feeling herself blushing as she smiled back, sheepishly.

"You're wrong Kate," Anna said, absently.

Kate turned to look at her. "About what?"

"The shops being the best things in Heathrow."

"Then what are?"

"At the moment, the Russian men on our flight!"

"Honestly!" Sarah laughed.

"What do you like about stubble?" Kate asked, curiously.

"Everything," Anna replied simply.

"You don't mind podgy men or chest hair either."

"I have a wide range of physical attractions."

"No, you have poor taste in men."

"That's rich coming from a girl who likes clean shaven men with blonde hair and pretty blue eyes. You know, you'd have made a perfect agent for Hitler when trying to cleanse his race! I like masculine men, not pretty boys."

"Each to their own," Sarah cut in.

Anna shrugged. "Quite right."

"Then what do you like mum?" Kate asked.

"A wide choice."

"Dad's fair haired and clean shaven," Anna shrugged. "Typically English."

"So why are you so dark?" Kate asked. "And more European?"

"I guess that is a little odd; mother and father are both fair, and so are all their family. You're the perfect bimbo and I'm as dark as the cosmos! However, I remember hearing in biology a while ago about recessive genes and everything. It's possible to have a dark child although the probability is low or something like that."

"Is that true?"

"You should know Kate," Sarah noted.

"Why? I'm only doing GCSEs."

"That is GCSEs!" Anna replied. "Double Science."

"I don't remember doing that."

"Well you wouldn't."

"But…"

"Leave it," Sarah cut in. "Anna's right, recessive genes."

She turned and faces away rather abruptly, Anna catching onto that but it flew over Kate's head completely. She seemed very keen not to discuss the topic of Anna's different appearance. Was her mother hiding something? Her father had divorced her mother so abruptly, but that was about 13 years now. Anna decided to ignore that thought for now as the approached the check in desk.

"SU-145 to Moscow?" the man at the conveyor asked.

Anna shivered; what a nice, deep voice.

"Yes," Sarah replied.

"Which airport?"

"Err…"

Anna decided to step in at that moment.

"Sheremetyevo 2," she said, in Russian.

"Ah, thank you!" the man laughed. "You speak Russian!"

"Yeah I do," Anna replied.

"Excellent! Put your luggage on here, please."

Anna lifted her suitcase up onto the conveyor belt, catching the enquiring stare off her mother.

"You spoke Russian," she stated.

"Apparently," Anna replied.

"It came that naturally?"

"It seemed to, yes."

"I don't remember you ever learning Russian."

"Oh yeah. Language CDs, you know…"

Anna trailed off and shrugged, continuing to load the rest of the cases at the Russian man's instructions. Although Maxim believed in her unique abilities, her mother and sister did not. Even though Kate continuously called her a freak, she didn't really believe that she could turn on the lights with her mind. Anna sighed as they took their tickets and left, catching the eye of that that Russian bloke again and blushing.

They walked on through the customs office with no trouble at all, except for Kate who needed to strip off all her jewellery before going through the barriers. Even though she looked nothing like a threat, it all set it off. Anna rolled her eyes skyward and smirked slightly as she watched her younger sister put all of her rings, bracelets and necklaces back on. Anna wore no jewellery at all, so was certainly not likely to set off any metal detection barriers. The main part of the airport was filled with different shops, Anna eventually laying her eyes on the Duty Free.

"I'm going to have a coffee," Sarah stated.

"Shall we go off for a bit then?" Anna asked.

"Please don't split up."

Anna glanced at Kate briefly.

"There's no way you're getting me in River Island!"

"Alright!"

Sarah glanced at her watch.

"Be back in one hour; I'll be in Costa."

So, Anna went off towards the Duty Free, Kate disappearing to find Heathrow's Harrods Store. Anna quickly found herself gazing at the duty free vodka, but she quickly reminded herself that it would be much cheaper to buy it in Russia. Although a large bottle of Smirnoff was appealing at the moment, a nice cheaper bottle of Stolichniskaya bought at a Moscow supermarket would be nicer.

She then moved away from the spirits section to regard the chocolate's section, looking at all the brilliant offers they had. Giant Toblerones, big boxes of Maltesers, and 3 for 2 on large bars of plain, bitter chocolate. All so tempting! As she selected a few items, she caught part of a phone call a man was making in Russian. She decided not to listen, but a certain sentence caught her attention.

"Anton," the man stated. "I think I've seen the girl."

Anna stopped short. Should she listen?

"Oh yes, she's English," he continued.

There was a pause as he listened to the reply.

"Hmm, yes. In her early twenties by the looks of things. Quite short; dark hair, dark eyes and well built for a woman. She seems to fit your description Anton; young, pretty and looks intelligent."

Anna bought her chocolate at the till, still listen to the conversation.

"Tell Semyon to look out for her," he carried on.

There was another short pause as Anna left the cash desk.

"Long black coat, Russian blue camouflage combats, a red jumper with the word 'Czech' written on it and heavy brown boots. Yeah, as you saw her on the plane; she's getting on the SU-145 with me."

Another small pause.

"Yeah, she's with her mother and sister," he replied. "Tell Semyon."

After that, he finished the telephone call and Anna turned in his direction as he walked away. To her surprise, she saw the Russian man she'd seen before at the check in desk; the guy wearing the sunglasses. He disappeared off into the airport, Anna not feeling any impulse to follow him. Clearly that man he was talking to was looking out for her, and he was going to get another guy to look out for her at Sheremetyevo 2 on landing. Where they police? The Russian FSB or something? But she hadn't got into trouble, had she?

Forgetting about it for now, Anna heading off towards WH Smiths to buy a few more extra things. As well as a few sweets, she bought some extra alkaline batteries and a big book of Sudoku puzzles. They'd get her through the flight, as well as the lovely views of continental Europe so long as it wasn't too cloudy. She imagined she'd need the batteries because using her own power to charge them might not be too healthy for the plane. Then a though came to her. Maxim said a few selected Russians were born with a gift; maybe these strange men like the guy on the phone were aware of her abilities. Now, along with the confusion and slight fear, she found curiosity and excitement. This could all turn out well.

She left the shop, returning again quickly to buy a cheese and spring onion sandwich that took her fancy. She wondered passed one of the expensive, modern clothe stores, spying Kate inside. Her sister had neglected to try things on, but instead was gazing longingly at the miniskirts and little handbags.

"Don't get any ideas," Anna cautioned.

Kate spun around, eyeing up her older sister's bags.

"Where have you been then?" she asked.

Anna grinned. "Duty Free and WH Smiths."

"Vodka then?"

"No, chocolate. Vodka's cheaper in Russia."

"Mum told me not to pack my skirts."

"And for a good reason."

"Maybe I should get one; I'm sure I'll be able to wear it."

"How about that nice long black one over there?"

Kate glanced over it. "You've got one like that."

"My one and only!" Anna laughed.

"It's far too long."

"It's ankle length Kate; as in, decent."

"I'm thinking more like this."

Kate indicated to the small, frilly green thing hanging up alongside packets of pink, fishnet tights.

Anna shrugged. "Fine if you want frozen legs and Russian van drivers throwing coke cans at you in disgust."

Anna disappeared, leaving her younger sister to gaze with soppy eyes at the expensive, modern fashion. Anna thought that it was impossible to price a miniskirt so expensively; it wasn't as if much fabric went into them anyway. She shook her head as she thought back to Kate; very sad. But she couldn't really talk, as she recalled gazing longingly at the latest dual core computer processors in PC World. But that was a different kind of sad; sad they were too expensive. Anna made her way back towards the small Costa coffee bar, finding her mother and sitting down next to her.

"Duty Free?" Sarah asked.

"Naturally," Anna replied.

"Did you see Kate at all?"

"Gushing over miniskirts again?"

"I hope she'll be sensible."

At that moment, an Italian waiter came over and the fight of him almost made Anna fall off her chair. He put down the bill for Sarah's coffee, but she called him back over again as he made to move away.

"Anything for you Anna?" she asked.

"Oh!" Anna replied. "Alright."

She shared a smile with the Italian waiter.

"A coke and a Danish please mate," she noted.

"Do you want that Danish hot?" the Italian asked.

"Yes please, though not as hot as you!"

The Italian laughed. "I shall see that it wont be."

He smiled at her and left, Anna stretching and leaning back in her chair. She turned to regard the Italian man as he bent over to pick up the discarded tray, flashing his nice backside in her direction. She smiled, catching the expression on her mother's face as she turned back round.

"What?" she asked.

"You're cheerful," Sarah laughed.

"My radar's working at full range today!"

"So I've noticed."

"Good practice for Russia."

"Kate's jealous of you, you know."

That was an odd thing to say.

"Really?" Anna queried.

"Oh yeah; you always attract the good looking blokes, even if she say's they're not. Kate struts around in miniskirts in hope that it'll attract the men, but all she can manage is pretty boys and drug addicts. Then there's you; European looking and dressing decently and you get the smiles off all the nice, decent young men."

"That is rather satisfying."

"On day Kate will act on that and follow your example."

"But Kate's had loads of boyfriends; I've never had one."

"That's because she assumes she'd being popular and fashionable because it looks good. But she's too young and doesn't have enough common sense. You're just coming up to the right age to have a long relationship, but you've made the sensible decision to keep waiting and put your career plans first. Don't worry, you'll find the perfect match soon."

"How will I know?"

"All the men you smile at; how do you feel about them?"

"Just that they're nice, but nothing more than that."

"Exactly. You'll know when it feels right."

Anna nodded.

"Like Maxim Berezkev is only a friend to me."

"Of course."

Kate then returned, thought with no bags; it appeared that she had not found anything suitable to buy that was to her liking. There was nothing wrong with that black skirt, but Kate only wore skirts that showed her legs. Anna suddenly grimaced; and her bum cheeks. She then smirked slightly; it was looking like Kate would never know when it felt right. The pretty boys and intellectually challenged only liked her because she showed her legs in public. Anna had always been liked for her personality, her intelligence and her lack of girlishness.

That thought remained just within reach at the back of her mind as the Italian guy came back. She returned his smile once again as he put down her coke and Danish pastry, leaving the bill behind. She turned to absently watch him leave before averting her concentration to listen to the announcement over the airport noise.

"Passengers for the 8:10 SU-145 Aeroflot service to Moscow Sheremetyevo 2. Your flight has now arrived and you are to wait while the aircraft is refuelled and your luggage is loaded. Please listen out for your gate call."

"Excellent!" Anna proclaimed.

"Did you check the weekly forecast?" Sarah asked.

"I did! It's not supposed to get above -8°C all week. The lowest day temperature I saw was about -16°C, but the night temperatures will be much colder. Forecast snow for the beginning of the week, but pressure is rising."

"That'll freeze all the snow up then."

Anna laughed. "No high heals then!"

"You're alright for that, aren't you?"

"I don't own a pair of high heals."

"Of course. Kate, what about you?"

Kate sighed. "I have a pair or two, I guess."

"Good."

Anna smiled as she drank her coke, her eyes falling on the Italian waiter again. As he moved away from view, she spotted the Russian man sitting on his own at a far table. Had he seen her? It didn't look like it. He was sat with a large, steaming mug of coffee reading a full spread English newspaper that looked like the Independent. Strange; could he read English? Or was it a disguise? As he folded away his newspaper to drink some of his coffee, Anna saw that he still hadn't taken off his sunglasses.

She finished off her pastry and put the money for it into the saucer with the receipt. Sarah was staring absently at the blue boards waiting for the gate call to come and Kate was fiddling with her fingernails. Anna flicked through her passport, looking at the stamp for the Russian visa that would allow her entry. After doing research into travelling there, you also needed a letter of invitation. Had Sarah done all that? She couldn't recall it, but they did go down to the Russian embassy.

"Off to Russia eh?" asked a deep, male voice.

Anna turned round and came face to face with the Italian waiter.

"Oh yes," she replied. "For a lovely cold winter."

"You'll not like parts of my country."

"Where about do you come from?"

"Turin, not that hot in comparison."

"You'd be the hottest thing there I imagine."

He laughed. "I don't know, you might like others."

"Have you been skiing then?"

"Oh yes, I rather enjoy it."

"You're built more like a bobsleigher though."

He laughed again. "Nice of you to say so."

"Have you worked here long?"

"Not really, only moved in to London a few months ago."

"You do a good job."

She winked at him, causing him to laugh again. Kate rolled her eyes skyward, turning away to look at a pretty looking blonde man wearing a USA jumper. Anna watched as the Italian waiter picked up the money and the two bills; she had him all to herself.

"Was your pastry hot enough?" he asked.

"Well done thank you," Anna replied. "Though not so as you."

"You think that's difficult, yes?"

"Very difficult, my friend."

He smirked. "Are you a lorry driver?"

"I'm thinking about doing that, why do you ask?"

"You remind me of my sister a little bit; she's a lorry driver and she loves working with all the men. She still lives in Turin though. Through the winter she stays at home and through the summer she works for a Scandinavian haulage company, mostly doing Scandinavia and North Russia. She's got your sense of humour and dress code, too."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"Please do!"

The announcer interrupted them.

"Attention all passengers flying with the SU-145 Aeroflot service to Moscow Sheremetyevo 2. Your aircraft is now prepared and the luggage has been transported, could you please make your way to Departure Gate 26 to prepare to board. Boarding will commence in approximately 10 minutes."

"There's the call!" Sarah proclaimed. "Finally!"

"Nice talking to you mate," Anna told the Italian.

"A pleasure," he replied with his usual smile.

Moments later, they boarded the plane with no complications about Visas and passports, but at the other end in Moscow would possibly prove to be a challenge. Anna claimed the window seat with Kate on the end while their mother sat between them. That was probably a good thing; she couldn't stand her sister going on about how cold it would be in Moscow for the duration of the flight. Yeah, Sarah loved the sun, but she was ready to miss it for a change. It was time to see some proper snow for once in a while, so it would feel like a proper winter this year. But it wasn't as if Anna never wanted to go on holiday with her mother and sister, she just couldn't stand hot climates. She found that out when she was about 10; it was a really hot summer and she spent two of the months on a drip in hospital.

Anna stood up briefly to hand her back pack to Sarah so she could put it in the overhead locker. She'd got all her in flight survival stiff in a Duty Free carrier bag. As she went to sit down again, she spotted the Russian man in the sunglasses sitting near the window in front of her. She sat back down quickly; she was beginning to feel rather worried about that man. But it did not put her off the trip to Moscow; even without all of the things she'd heard and seen, Moscow was a place she really wanted to visit. But would she find out why she could do all of these strange things with her mind?

Anna paid little attention when the air hostess went through the safety procedures for the Ilyushin Il-96 aircraft. She'd been on a place before and could remember what was needed. However, she suddenly took more notice of the briefing when a young Russian lad indicated to all the tabs and strings on the life jackets and oxygen masks. She leaned back into her seat and smiled to herself, turning to look down below as the men moved away from the aircraft. Today was a very good day, and it could only get better.

Before long, the Aeroflot flight SU-145 had taxied out to the runway and prepared for lift off. Anna leaned back into her seat as they sped off down the runway and slowly took off into the air. She'd heard stories about people's seats not being riveted in properly on Aeroflot, and ending up slipping to the back of the plane during take off. However, this did not happen to anyone on this flight. Her first flight with Aeroflot was perfectly clean so far; no broken seats, no missing seatbelts and no dodgy trays.

"Still like flying then?" Sarah asked her.

"One of the best parts of holiday!" Anna replied, smiled.

"Well, we've got just over four hours."

"Perfect."

As they climbed up higher above the clouds, Anna took out her mp3 player and put her headphones into her ears. Putting her sunglasses over her eyes so she could take in the view outside without any glare from the sun, she relaxed ready to enjoy the long flight to Moscow. They'd soon be leaving behind Western Europe and mild winters for a whole glorious week.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

With a bump, they landed at Sheremetyevo 2 in Moscow, Anna having enjoyed a wonderful view on the landing. It was beginning to get dark, seeing as it was about 3:30 Moscow time after altering the clocks for the time change. They made a slow taxi from the runway to the arrivals terminal, a lone LOT Polish Airlines plane all on its own in the shadow of Aeroflot. Everyone fiddled with their seatbelts as the aeroplane came to a halt and the signs above were extinguished.

"Welcome to Moscow Sheremetyevo 2," the Captain spoke over the speaker system. "The current temperature outside is -10°C and falling; it's going to be a chilly night tonight, but I imagine that's what you've all come for. Heavy snowfall is expected over night and during tomorrow, but after that pressure is rising and snowfall is becoming increasingly thinner. But don't worry, it won't go away! It'll simply freeze over and get you that way."

Some of the Russian passengers laughed at that.

"Enjoy your stay in Moscow and we'll see you again on Aeroflot."

The Captain then began to repeat the message in English, Anna surprised how good his English was; no pseudo-American accent like a lot of Dutch and Germans tended to speak with. The people on the outside rows got to their feet to take their hand luggage out of the overhead compartments. Sarah had step around Kate to do so, reaching up and passing each of them their bags; she handed the backpack back to Anna, a miniscule handbag to Kate and her own shoulder bag.

"What can you fit in there?" Anna asked Kate.

"Bus fair and a bit of makeup," Kate replied.

"I bet you can't fit keys in there, can you? Or a portable fan for the summer."

"Why would I need all of those things?"

"In the house is empty when you get home, perhaps."

Kate shrugged. "I'll just wait."

Anna sighed and got to her feet, seeing that the Russian man in front of her had also done so. She glanced at him slightly, but he didn't seem to notice. As people gradually filed off the plane, Kate joined her mother in the isle, Anna being cut off as more people left their seats. Eventually, the Russian man in the sunglasses paused and indicated politely for her to move out in front of him. She thanked him in Russian before moving on, feeling a little uncomfortable with him standing behind her. However, his presence did not feel threatening, only strange.

Finally, Anna stepped off the plane into the cloudy outside world of the Moscow winter. She drew her long black coat around her, glancing skyward as a few, light flakes of snow fell onto her face. The areas surrounding the tarmac runways were thickly covered with snow like she'd never seen before; it was stunning. She joined up with Sarah and Kate at the foot of the stares, the Russian man walking off slowly away from them, not bothered by the snow settling on his broad shoulders.

"Cold enough for you?" Sarah asked, smiling.

"Lovely and cold thank you," Anna replied.

"Cold?" Kate cut in. "Bloody freezing!"

"Now do you see why you cannot dress like you normally do?"

"Alright, point taken."

They all headed off into the airport to travel through the corridors into the Russian immigration office before baggage reclaim. They joined the queue for the Visa checks with the other European passengers, but the majority of the people on their flight seemed to join the Russian Federation Citizens section. Now she was here, Anna found she could also read and understand the Russian Cyrillic language; strange. In the Russian half, Anna saw the stocky guy in the sunglasses standing with his passport ready. However, her eyes soon travelled to the four young Russians she'd seen before, especially the one that had smiled at her.

"Russian spotting again?" Sarah asked.

"Well, you can't really plane spot indoors," Anna replied, shrugging.

"Your radar is certainly working today!"

"It's stronger than a submarine's, I imagine."

"Why do you always get smiled at?" Kate asked.

Anna shrugged. "I guess they like me."

"It's not as if they even have nice smiles."

"Oh I think they do," Sarah replied.

She shared a smirk with her eldest daughter.

"Just because they don't have pearly white teeth and pretty, clean shaven faces," Anna responded to her sister's comment. "Clearly your opinions of men are on completely the opposite end of the scale to mine."

"You're not complaining about it, are you?" Sarah asked.

"Not at all! I have them all to myself!"

Anna took her first step to show her visa, trying not to smirk at the hard, serious expression on security officer's face. His expression suddenly changed slightly and he looked through her passport once more, as if wondering what he had seen wrong before. Shrugging a little, he passed the passport back to Anna, smiled at her briefly, and turned to Sarah. How weird, Anna thought as she walked away. However, seeing as she got through unhurt, she waited around for her mother and sister before heading off towards baggage reclaim with them both.

Anna was also unaware that she had been watched closely by the Russian man in the sunglasses. He turned away from the customs desks and disappeared through the airport, having no luggage to collect from the conveyor belts. He quickly left the arrivals and entered the main airport complex, wondering over to the coffee. He spotted Anton, Bear and Tiger Cub sat outside in their Gorsvet jackets.

"Vyacheslav!" Anton called him over.

He headed over to them and brought up a chair.

"She's through customs," he explained. "Without a letter of invitation, there was no chance of her getting in; I can't believe her mother didn't realise that! So I hung around and noticed that the customs officer was looking a bit hostile, so I put the thought in her head that would allow her and her family entrance."

"Sneaky," Bear complimented.

"So long as the Day Watch doesn't book me for it. Technically, I'm not supposed to use my gift on humans, only to help an Other who's in danger or to keep an eye on Dark Others."

"Then say she's an Other in danger."

"Anyway, if they know about her, they'll forget it," Anton added.

"We'll have to get to her first," Vyacheslav noted.

"It's her decision, Vyacheslav."

"I know, but she knows my brother Maxim; her name is Anna Smith and I know he's a good friend of her's. I'm sure that he would want her to be safe, so I want to do all I can to make sure she makes the right decision."

"But don't interfere."

"I'll be as subtle as possible."

Tiger Cub laughed. "Oh yeah Vyacheslav! What'll it be then? Join us because we're good?"

"Maybe Semyon will make an impression."

"What have you told him to do now?" asked Anton.

"Just to keep an eye out for her outside."

"I see… and how will that make an impression on her?"

"He said that he'll see what he can do."

Bear hung his head. "Oh dear."

"It's her!" Anton suddenly cut in.

They all turned round to where Anton was looking, watching as Anna turned up alongside her mother and sister. All of them had their sunglasses on over their eyes, which hid their gaze to some degree. However, anyone who saw four people looking in their direction with sunglasses on would feel a little nervous. They watched as Sarah stood and looked around briefly before being joined by a fat Russian taxi driver. After a short conversation, the English family followed the Russian man towards the exit and out of Sheremetyevo 2.

Anton picked up his phone. "Semyon."

"Have you got her Anton?" he replied.

"She's just left the airport."

"I'll keep a watch for her."

"She's got the luggage trolley."

Semyon laughed. "I'm right next to the trolley park!"

"Vyacheslav says you'll be making an impression on her."

"Did he now? I don't know what he means."

Semyon phoned off, smirking to himself and getting out of his yellow truck, shutting the door behind him. He shivered slightly, brushing some of the snowflakes off his balding head before lighting up a cigarette he'd stolen from Tiger Cub earlier on, and shoving his free hand into his jacket pocket. The trolley park was just ahead of him, so within any luck, she'd be coming his way. He looked at the exit to the airport, spotting Anna and her family crowded around a Russian taxi cab. He laughed to himself typical of foreigners to pick up an unofficial cab; they'd be getting a high bill.

After a brief conversation with her mother, Anna waited for the taxi driver to offload the trolley before she looked around for the trolley park. Once she found the one near to Semyon's yellow van, she headed over towards it, Semyon getting ready. He wondered away from his truck a little, glancing at his watch as if he were waiting for someone. He glanced up as Anna came over, taking the cigarette out of his mouth and smiling at her. She returned the smile with an almost playful glint in her eyes before parking the trolley with its companions. This would be too easy.

"Hi," he greeted in Russian.

She turned around again.

"Hello," she replied.

"Nice day?"

"Oh yes it is!"

"Where have you come from? Pevek? Murmansk?"

"England; I'm not from Russia."

"You're not? I'd never have known that; you seem so fluent and well spoken in Russian to be foreign. Even an Englishman confident in Russian still fails to get a proper accent. How do you do it?"

She shrugged and flashed him a smile.

"Either hard work or pure talent," she replied.

"Indeed," he returned the smile. "You look Russian too."

"Thank you. I rather like your accent though."

"Hmm, I have a Novosibirsk accent."

"You look so Russian."

"Really? In what ways?"

He used another smile to tempt her to compliment him.

"Oh, many things I guess," she replied, offhandedly. "Could be your stubble, your accent, because you're podgy, because you're smoking, or anything like that! I think you fit the English stereotype of a Russian."

"I'm flattered."

"It's my first time here."

"You find Russian men attractive, do you?"

"Hmm, the vast majority, yes."

"Even myself?"

"Oh quality Russian!"

They laughed, but Sarah soon interrupted them.

"Anna!" she shouted. "We're ready to leave now!"

"Sorry!" Anna called back. "I was just talking."

"Are you chatting up more Russian men?"

"Most certainly!"

"Come on, the taxi man wants to leave I think."

"What's he saying?"

"Err; it sounds like 'pashly' or something."

"Then I'm on my way!"

Anna turned back to Semyon.

"Thanks for the chat," she noted.

"Any time," Semyon replied, smiling.

"Perhaps I'll see you soon?"

"Sooner than you think."

He winked at her, sharing another smile as she turned away and walked back towards the red cab. He wondered back over to his truck and leaned against the shut door, watching as Anna approached the taxi. She climbed inside and it drove off, Semyon catching sight of a second Gorsvet van subtly following the taxi. Then they could let Geser know where Anna was staying; it had shaped out nicely with no interference from Day Watch so far. But he was willing to bet that Zavulon would soon know what was going on and catch Night Watch at their job looking out for Anna. Semyon grimaced slightly; after talking to her, he really wanted her to become light.

The other four came over to where he had parked the yellow truck from inside the airport, Vyacheslav looking more like a member of the Russian mafia than an electrician. They joined Semyon at the yellow truck, Bear and Tiger Cub climbing into the back while Anton and Vyacheslav at up front in the two passenger seats. They fastened their seatbelts, Semyon having the usual struggle.

"Did you find her?" Anton asked.

"Got hold of her as she put the trolley away," Semyon replied.

"What do you make of her then?"

"Very nice; well done Anton!"

"Not in that way."

"I think she's the one you mean; she's definitely an Other because I felt she'd been in the Gloom before. I had an idea also that she knew someone was looking out for her because she was keen to flirt back at me. Maybe she is the Lost Other Geser keeps talking about; the one who's Light but comes from Dark. If that's all true, then it means she'll become Light like us. But what does come from Dark mean?"

"Her father's a Vampire!" Vyacheslav laughed.

"Be serious Vyacheslav!"

"No, he could be right," Anton cut in.

"But how? She's English even if her Russian accent is real."

"Did she have her father with her?"

"There were no males travelling with them," Vyacheslav noted.

"So her parents are separate then," Anton concluded

"Her father could be Russian."

"But who?"

"Is that really important?" Semyon asked.

"At the moment, no."

"Then we'll see how it unfolds."

Semyon pressed down on the accelerator, driving off away from Sheremetyevo 2 and filing up behind a long queue of traffic, a large proportion of which were taxis. He sighed, tossing his cigarette out of the window and winding it back up again. Bloody foreigners taking up all the space on the crowded roads in taxis; they should learn to use buses. They could be stuck here for sometime.

----

Soon, Anna and her family arrived at their hotel in Moscow after a taxi ride that took a little while in the traffic, but still showed them a good view of the Russian capital. Anna had sat up front with the taxi driver because she could speak to him in Russian. In the wing mirror, she had noticed a yellow truck, similar to the one she'd seen at the airport, which seemed to be following them. The taxi driver said it was a vehicle owned by the City Light Company, Gorsvet. Even as they unloaded their stuff, Anna saw a yellow truck drive passed at park further down the road, but no one seemed to question it.

"Don't worry about them," the taxi driver assured her.

"A lighting company, you said?" Anna queried.

"Yeah; without them, we'd have no lights!"

"So, do they just run around for maintenance work?"

"Probably…"

But he was cut across by Anna's mother.

"Could you pay the man?" she asked her daughter.

"Of course," Anna replied.

"And don't give him a tip."

Sarah walked away with her own suitcase, but Kate left hers behind for Anna to carry, seeing as she could never be bothered to do so herself.

"What was that about?" the driver asked. "I can't speak English."

"My mother told me not to give you a tip," Anna replied.

"Well… I guess you must oblige…"

Anna laughed at his expression.

"I didn't plan on leaving you nothing extra, friend."

The taxi driver cleared his throat. "I feel guilty now."

"I know that you're an unofficial taxi."

"Then why…"

"Because you were polite and talkative, not for ripping us off."

Anna paid the taxi the fee, adding in a bit more.

"And trust me, you're cheaper than London taxis!" she laughed.

"When you're on the way back, call up our number and ask for Driver number 118. Or if numbers are a little too meaningless, ask for driver name; Ruslan Pavlovich Mirskin. That's me of course!"

"I'll remember."

Anna laughed, smiling as he thanked her and then left her with the thought that every Russian she'd seen so far had smiled at her. Now there was a nice thought to start the holiday with. Anna dragged her's and Kate's suitcase into the entrance hall seeing as her sister was too weedy to carry all the rubbish she'd packed. She'd brought a hair dryer with all the different fittings and hair straighteners, whereas Ann had taken her laptop and camcorder in comparison. Thankfully, they had adaptors each to change English to European plugs, but they still had to share a room. Perhaps they should have packed sandbags, but the most Kate could do was flap her arms and screech. Anna preferred to leave to sarcasm, but now she could speak Russian, she could mutter anything to Kate and get away with it.

The three of them took the lift to floor three where their rooms were. They were right next to each other, so if Kate was complaining about Anna pinching all of the plug sockets, she could go and use Sarah's. Batteries needed charging and it was a constant use of power. When it came to irritating Kate by using up all of the free power points, that was an advantage of manually charging the batteries.

"The heating needs to go up," Kate stated.

Anna checked the thermostat.

"It's heated to 15°C," she noted. "That's plenty."

"That's cold."

"Rubbish! Alone I'd drop it down to about 10°C"

"I saw that guy you were chatting up at the airport."

"Which one do you mean?"

"The guy with the yellow truck."

"Oh him! Yeah, he was rather cuddly."

"He looked about fifty-odd."

"No! I'd say early forties."

"Still way too old for you."

Anna shrugged. "It was only a conversation."

"Why do you like older men?"

"Why do you like boys who look about 12?"

Kate blushed and watched as her sister plugged her laptop and camcorder up to charge, already taking two of the power points. Anna then took out a tub of powder drink mix she added to water to create a protein supplement. This strawberry flavoured drink was much nicer than red meat, and she needed to get protein from somewhere to keep her muscles in trim.

"Why do you drink that stuff?" Kate asked.

"Why do you ask such irritating questions?" Anna queried.

"Because I don't understand you."

"Then please don't bother trying."

"Why?"

Anna sighed. "To help develop good muscles."

"You don't need to, you know."

"Maybe not if I was a little girl like you. But I'm a woman and I have good reasons to need a well build physical structure. I either want to do HGV driving, engineering, construction and demolition work or mechanics. For either one of those jobs, I need be strong to do them."

"Those are men's jobs, Anna."

"Maybe more so than others, but being a lone women with all those men might not be as bad as it sounds, so long as they're all under 45. Hmm, on building sites in the summer, relaxing back in a JCB on a paid lunch break looking at all those top naked, sweaty men. Getting to know the young foreign lorry drivers at all the service stations and truck stops in Europe. A lot to be desired."

"You're weird."

"Maybe, but at least I have ambitions."

"So do I."

Anna sighed and sat on the edge of her bed.

"Alright," she stated. "Like what?"

"Like hairdressing, beauty or fashion design."

"Ambitious for some, but they'd bore me to tears."

"Alright, I admit I'm not intellectually superior."

"Listen Kate, you are my sister and as much as I hate your sense of dress code and detest your irritating girly personality, I can't deny that I want you to make the best decision in the future. Yeah, you're a bit of a slut, but that doesn't really anger me more than just worry me. But I will stick up for you if you make the correct and most sensible decision. I'm also old enough to stop you ruining your life."

"That's not exactly reassuring."

"I only ask for a bit of respect."

Kate sighed. "I have stuck up for you a bit."

"Now I'm interested."

"My friends all think you're a geek."

"I like computers and sci-fi, so why not!"

"I don't think you are."

"At least that means I'm intelligent."

"I just think you're a little weird."

"I take that as a compliment a bit more!"

Kate grimaced slightly. "This is hard to say."

She sighed.

"I admit you're cool."

Anna laughed. "Now you're in big compliment territory."

"But don't you dare tell them I said that."

"Hey, I don't speak to your little chav gang."

"And yeah, you'd make a great trucker or something."

"Then I also have to say that you'd make a good fashion designer. As much as I hate fashion and disagree with it, I imagine you'll know exactly what to do with it. Just so long that when you get rich, you buy me a fast car."

"A fast car? You're kidding?"

"Yeah! Ferrari, Lotus Elise, Alfa Romeo Spider…"

She trailed off and glanced at Kate's expression.

"Ford Transit van," she added.

"I knew that was coming," Kate replied.

There was a knock at the door that interrupted their conversation. Kate went to unlock the door as Anna unpacked some plastic cups and set them down alongside the pack of drink mix. Her sister opened the door and Sarah came in.

"Unpacked enough?" she asked.

"Pretty much," Anna replied.

"Kate?"

"Not really," she shrugged. "Why?"

"Who fancies a quick look around Moscow before dinner?"

"True, we haven't got much time to look around," Anna replied.

"We could get a cab," Kate noted.

"Hmm, a little bit expensive," Sarah replied, uncertainly.

"I can unpack later I suppose."

"I'll leave my cam here," Anna added. "It needs to recharge over night."

Sarah glanced over at the charging laptop.

"Why did you brink that?"

"Gut instinct told me to," Anna replied.

"Shall we go out then?"

"We'd better wrap up warm."

"I'll meet you outside in the corridor."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Moscow had a good feel to it. Anna found that, although the city was new and unfamiliar, this was the place she should belong in. This felt like home. The people were very polite and the Russian men knew how to be smooth and interesting with their approach, and graceful in defeat. However, there were aspects to this city that Anna knew only she could feel. They walked passed the odd occasional nightclub and she felt an evil presence about them, and then they drove passed a power station in a taxi and she felt a reassuringly good presence from it. There were strange forces at work here in the hidden world of Moscow; forces that ordinary people could not see.

The winter night was soon beginning to draw in and the temperature was slowly dropping further towards -20°C. Even though it was only four o'clock in the afternoon, the sun had set and it was now feeling like late evening rather than late afternoon. They decided to return to the hotel and eat in the restaurant there after a glorious day of walking through the Russian snow. Anna took a seat by the window so she could still sit and watch the snow falling outside.

"Who's eating what then?" Sarah asked.

"Salad of some sort," Kate replied.

"Soup will do for me," Anna replied.

Anna was a little disappointed that it was a woman serving them, but there were only so many Russian men you could smile at in one day, and at least she set a good example for Kate in how to dress. Anna was content in having a spicy tomato soup with rice and a bit of chocolate fudge cake for afterwards. Once the woman left with the orders, Anna turned to look out of the window. She saw a rather smart, black sports car parked outside with two people standing outside; one a rather ugly skinny man with a furry white hat and the other an unattractive young woman with dark hair and far too much lipstick. Both of them had their eyes covered with sunglasses. Ann shuddered; there was something very unfriendly and dangerous about them.

Late, a familiar looking yellow van with a thick red stripe along it parked alongside the black car and three people came out. One was a large, stocky man with lots of curly black hair, the second a pretty blonde woman and the third a podgy man with stubble and a heavily receding hairline. Anna had seen him at Sheremetyevo 2 outside the trolley park. All three of them wore the same jacket, combats and dark glasses. They shared a brief, rather unfriendly conversation with the two outside the black sports car before turning away and entering the hotel.

"There are a lot of those yellow trucks around," Anna commented.

"What yellow trucks?" Sarah questioned.

"Like that one parked out there."

Anna pointed to it, her mother taking a good look.

"What about it?" Kate asked after looking herself.

"I've just seen a lot of them," Anna replied.

"Well I haven't seen any."

"The taxi driver said they belonged to an electricity company."

"Then they're a bit like the British Gas vans back home," Sarah suggested.

"Possibly."

The three people who turned up in the yellow van came into the restaurant and queued up behind the other people who didn't stay in the hotel. Anna watched them closely as they took off their sunglasses to observe the room. All of them were looking at the same spot and Anna turned round to see what they were looking at. There was a thin man at the far end with long, greasy blonde hair and a tooth brush moustache; quite unattractive at that. What would electricians want with him?

From the kitchen, a short man with mousy brown hair dashed over to the three electricians and spoke to them very briefly. After a hurried conversation, he led them into the kitchen through the swinging doors and out of sight. Anna turned back round in her chair, quickly glancing out of the window and seeing that the sports car had gone, leaving the yellow truck on its own.

"I saw those three men at the airport," Anna stated.

"The ones who went in the kitchen?" Sarah asked.

"Yeah. The well built chap and the woman were sat at a table outside a pub in Sheremetyevo 2 with two other men, but they're not here. The short podgy one was outside a yellow truck near the trolley park; I remember chatting him up whilst I was putting the trolley back."

"Did you say they were electricians?"

"The taxi driver said the van was from a company, yes."

"Well then, they'll be checking the meters or something."

Anna had to reassure herself that that was the case as they ate dinner. But why would electricians reading a meter or something would be interested in a lonely chap sitting in a hotel restaurant? And why would they have an apparent dislike towards attractive people in nice cars? There was something strange going on and she was determined to find out what. And was this also to do with the man who wanted to find her at Heathrow, and then at Sheremetyevo 2?

After filling themselves on well made and interesting Russian food and desserts, they left for their rooms. Anna saw the truck driver standing on a step ladder fiddling with one of the light bulbs. He glanced down at her and smiled, winking at her briefly, she smiling back.

"Hello again!" he exclaimed.

"You said I'd see you soon," Anna replied.

"Of course! These crap hotel lights are always breaking."

"You're an electrician."

"It's my job to get the lights to work. And drive the vans."

"Do you fix the heating too?"

"No, different department. Good day?"

"It's a very nice city you have here."

"Excellent! Good night."

She waved goodbye to the podgy electrician, leaving for the upstairs where her room was on floor three. Sarah and Kate had already gone, so she'd better get back before her sister went to sleep and wouldn't open the door. Once she got outside, she knocked on the room door, Kate letting her in. Anna took one of her plastic cups, filled it up with fresh cold tap water and stirred in some drink mix. After she started drinking this, she found she felt healthier and less likely to become ill.

"What was so attractive about that electrician?" Kate asked.

"He had a pleasant face," Anna replied.

"I wouldn't get too worried about those yellow vans."

"Hmm, perhaps not."

Kate switched her light off and got into bed. Anna sighed and drank the rest of the protein drink, washing out the plastic cup and leaving it to dry on the side of the sink. She observed the thermostat, noticing that Kate had turned it up to 25°C. Anna smirked and turned it back down to 14°C and wondered over to the window. She peered out from behind the curtain, watching the three electricians cram into the yellow van and driving away. It looked like that was all they were, but something about that thought was not satisfying as she went to sleep.

Anna woke up about seven o'clock the next day. She yawned and sat up, looking over and seeing that Kate was still sound asleep; she wouldn't be getting up for another two ours or so. It wad dark outside, but breakfast was served from six through to ten, mainly in case people needed to get up early for flights. Anna got out of bed and dressed silently, suppressing a stomach rumble so as not to wake her sleeping sister. She tidied herself up briefly before leaving the room, taking the key with her. She stood and waited for the lift, stepping into it and joining a lone man who looked Italian; fairly long dark hair, dark eyes and very prickly stubble.

Anna smiled as he moved aside to let her in, blushing slightly as the doors slid shut. He glanced down at her and smiled, Anna retuning it and forcing her face no to redden further. She found herself fighting off images of what kind of body was hidden beneath that fitted, Italian suit he wore, instead returning her thoughts to the kind, pleasant face of the Russian electrician. They got out of the lift on the ground floor, the man allowing Anna to get off ahead of him. She hurriedly entered the hallway and headed over to the restaurant, but was stopped by the man she saw in there yesterday evening; the man with the blonde hair.

"So you're the one they're after," he stated.

"Sorry?" Anna queried, confused.

"You've finally come back to your routes."

"I don't know what you mean."

"The Night Watch wants you and so do we."

"What is the Night Watch?"

"You'll know when the time comes, for it comes for all Others eventually, even ones like yourself. All people, even of semi Russian heritage return home to the motherland. It's in your blood; your instinct. You were not born in your true country, but now you have returned to make your choice."

"My father's English."

"Really, Anna Smith?"

She paused and stared at him.

"How do you know my name?"

"I know, that is all," he replied.

"Who are you?"

"A friend or an enemy; that depends on you."

"Hmm, a nutter more like."

"What blood group is your sister?"

"How should I know?"

"Pity. Ah well, there are ways to find out."

He turned away and walked off, absently singing some strange Russian song to himself. Anna blinked and stared after him until he disappeared upstairs. That was weird. Her seemed to think she was Russian; perhaps he was mistaking her for someone else. But he knew her name. She shook her head; that man was starting to worry her.

"Was that man bothering you?" asked a deep, male voice.

Anna jumped and turned round to see who had spoken to her. Surprisingly, it was the good looking man in the lift; his nice accent highlighting her original assumption of him being Italian.

"Not really," she replied.

"I cannot speak Russian," he noted.

"I can, and I didn't catch onto him!"

"You seemed a little worried."

"Hmm, more for him that me!"

"So long as you feel you're alright."

He shrugged and flashed her a smile that would knock stars out of the sky. Anna watched him walk away into the restaurant, observing each, streamlined step he took and imagined the rippling of his muscles beneath the suit. She shook her head and returned to reality; that was not a good thing to think about before breakfast. She went in after a while, helping herself to some cereal, purposely not looking out for the Italian businessman in case he cast his spell on her again. It was unusual though that each time she thought about it, the pleasant face of that electrician came into her mind.

Anna sat down by the table by the window, seeing a bit of sunlight threatening to rise above the buildings and break the winter night. She glanced at her watch; it was now approaching eight o'clock. This time, there was no black sports car and now yellow van parked outside. As the time continued to fly by and no strange things occurred, a few moments seemed to feel ordinary; but the holiday was far from over and she knew from all the things she could do that she was far from ordinary. She hid her head in her hands; the electricians were after that blonde haired man; and he said people were after her. But that wasn't all he'd hinted at. He said her father wasn't English; it may be hit or miss, but she needed to ask questions.

As though thinking about that willed an opportunity to arise, Sarah walked into the restaurant, Kate presently absent. Even if her younger sister was awake, it would take her ages to get out of bed and get dressed. Anna watched as her mother took some toast and jam, followed by some fruit and brought it down to the table. It was now or never; she needed to know.

"You look troubled," Sarah commented.

"I am," Anna replied, simply.

"Yellow trucks again?"

She shook her head. "Who's my father, mum?"

"You know who he is…"

"I mean my real father."

Sarah sighed and hung her head briefly before looking back up at her daughter, seeing the defiance and the determination in her eyes. Then there was realisation; she couldn't keep hiding the facts any longer.

"I guess you should know," she said eventually.

"Go on," Anna encouraged her.

"It should have never happened, but I guess you can say that about everything that has gone wrong. About 22 years ago, I came to Moscow on a business trip with work; I even stayed in this hotel. We all went for a drink one night and I got a bit friendly with one of the Russian barmen. Perhaps a little too friendly. When I came home, and found out I was pregnant about three weeks later, I had no idea if you'd be his child or not. The moment your hair began to grow dark, I knew that was right. That was the reason the divorce happened."

"Did you love him? I mean the Russian barman."

"There was something about him, yes."

"Can I at least see him?"

"If he still works there, of course."

"Maybe he needs to see you again."

"No, our final goodbye wasn't exactly nice."

"How so?"

"I told him never to contact me and never to try and see me and that he should have never been in my life. You see, I loved both your father and Kate's father, but only one could be in my life and I decided it had to be the man I fell in love with first. In the end, I lost both and only I can be blamed for that. I could never force either of them to take me back."

"Did you regret it?"

Sarah sighed a shook her head.

"There's no point," she answered. "It happened."

"So much for recessive genes then," Anna noted.

"You're taking this so well."

"I always did have suspicions."

"What brought it up?"

"Just a quick thought."

In the end, Kate showed up and headed over to the table, carefully picking up a few portions of fruit before joining Anna and Sarah. A few strands of her hair had been left damp after washing it and she had not yet bothered to straighten it. Clearly Sarah had told her off for taking too long to get changed.

"You were up early," Kate remarked.

"I'm not one for sleeping in," Anna replied.

"Smiled at anyone today then?"

Anna's thoughts trailed back to the Italian man in the lift.

"Yes of course," she replied.

"Magnet," Kate mumbled.

"We'll need to get ready straight after breakfast," Sarah cut in.

"Are we going out already?"

"Anna needs to meet someone."

"Who does Anna need to meet here in Moscow?"

Sarah paused. "Her father."

"I knew her father wasn't the same as mine! Not all that biology crap."

"The biology stuff is true," Anna stated. "But clearly not in my case."

"How come Anna's father is Russian?"

Sarah sighed. "It's a long story Kate, but it does explain how your father and I got divorced so quickly. I had an affair with a Russian, unfortunately got pregnant from him, I hoped the child would be your father's, but that didn't work out. It was after you were born that we divorced when we found out through medical tests that he wasn't the biological father."

"Why didn't you tell us?"

"Anna wasn't really ready to know."

"Moscow was calling to me," Anna mumbled.

Sarah glanced at her daughter. "You really think that."

Anna nodded. Yes, she believed that Moscow had called to her, but not for the simple reason that her father was actually Russian. Something here held the answer to her question about her abilities, and it may be her father; but her mother would never know that was the real reason.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

After breakfast they left the restaurant to wrap themselves up for going outside into the harsh, Russian winter. Anna was unable to avoid leaving at the same time as the nice Italian businessman, smiling at him again. Fortunately he didn't follow them into the lift; she couldn't stand another few moments in a warm, confined space with him. She shivered, trying to replace the images of a muscular, Italian body with the pleasant face of the podgy Russian electrician. It worked again.

Anna didn't object to Kate coming along to try and hopefully find her real father; she had the feeling that Kate was suspicious about her origins anyway. They crossed the street and turned a corner until they ended up outside a small, rather shabby pub. Sarah stood outside it for a moment, feeling unsure.

"Go on in Anna," she said.

"He needs to see you too," Anna replied.

Sarah sighed. "I guess there's no hiding."

They entered, Kate following cautiously; apparently she had heard from some of her gossipy friends that Russians had many drinking problems. Even so, Anna still found most of them rather friendly and polite. As the door shut behind them, they noticed two men behind the bar; one of them was in his early fifties and the other was bending over looking in a fridge. Taking a deep breath, Sarah approached the bar.

"Do you speak English?" she asked.

The older man nodded.

"Does Vsevolod Kepalenko still work here?"

"Yes he does."

The older man set down the glass he was cleaning and turned to regard the younger man looking inside the fridge. He smacked his arse with the towel, the Russian shutting the fridge door and turning to glare at the older man. He shrugged and pointed to Sarah before turning away to serve a nearby customer.

"Vsevolod Kepalenko?" Sarah questioned.

"Should I know you?" the man asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Do I look familiar?"

"A little, but I see loads of people every day."

"I'm Sarah. Sarah Smith."

Vsevolod's expression became unreadable.

"Of course," he said eventually.

"You haven't changed much," Sarah replied.

"I take it neither have you."

"I'm not married any more, if that's what you mean."

Vsevolod observed her for a moment.

"That no longer concerns me," he stated, flatly.

"Are you no longer single then?" Sarah queried.

"I mean I'm no longer interested in you."

"Vsevolod…"

"How should I be, eh? Do you expect me to be? You lead me on for three days without even mentioning a husband once. Then, when you're leaving for home, you tell me that you can no longer keep in touch with me because you are married. Can you understand that situation?"

"I was stuck; I loved you both…"

"You can only love one man!"

Sarah sighed. "Do you think I don't regret it?"

"Look, I've never thought about it."

"Well think about it now."

"Why did you come here?"

"My eldest daughter wanted to come to Moscow."

"Children as well? What else did you hide from me?"

"That's you're the father, Vsevolod."

If he was expecting anything, he certainly wasn't expecting that. He first glanced at Kate; she was blonde and certainly didn't look Russian, never mind European. Then he glanced at Anna, seeing her dark hair and European features. It was in that glance that something passed between them. He was like her! Born with a gift of abilities beyond any possessed by ordinary men. Vsevolod then knew that she was like him and his comrades; she was an Other.

"How old are you?" he asked.

"21," Anna replied.

"Of course. Do you speak Russian?"

"Yes."

"Did you learn it quickly?"

"Very quickly."

"Hmm, like I would expect…"

He trailed off and glanced at Sarah.

"Can I speak to her alone?" he queried.

"Of course," Sarah replied.

"Get a taxi and take Kate to visit the GUM department store opposite the Kremlin in Red Square," Anna stated. "That's one of the factors of this wonderful city I don't really mind missing."

"Good idea."

"I'll meet you at some point."

"Oh no! We'll come back here."

Anna shrugged. "I guess I could get lost."

Sarah and Kate left the bar, Anna feeling the ice cold draft as the door opened and closed again. Vsevolod asked the owner for a break in his shift and he joined Anna on the other side of the bar. They sat down at one of the far end tables by the window, Anna watching her mother hail down a rickety grey cab.

"So," Vsevolod began. "Your name?"

"Anna," she replied, looking back to him.

"Hmm, almost English but definitely Russian."

"I think I know what you want to talk about."

Vsevolod nodded. "Do you know what I am?"

"A Russian barman?"

"Hmm, do you know what you are?"

She stared at him blankly and he sighed.

"It must be difficult for you," he stated. "You've never known I'm your father and hence you've never known your own power. It's lucky that you came; if you go on for so long without being trained in your gift you can die."

"You mean like my electricity?"

"You can make lights come on?"

"Yes and other electrical things."

He closed his eyes and smiled. "Then you have not inherited my problem whilst you've been at home, so you will not make the same mistake as me. You have picked up on the Light inside you and not let the Darkness in. I on the other hand was all too eager to throw it all away."

"I don't understand."

"I'm a Vampire, Anna."

Anna's eyes widened and he suppressed a smirk.

"You're surprised?" he asked.

"I never new they existed," Anna replied.

"I suppose you wouldn't; you've been isolated on that little island for too long! As an Other, I am not allowed to force you to choose good or evil. But as your father I have every right to help you and I warn you now; don't see the Dark as a good choice like I did. I regretted it and now look at me; I'm trying so hard to be human again, but it is so terribly hard. The need to feed is difficult to suppress, so I'm forced to live on raw animal meat and pigs' blood."

"You could… err… raid blood banks!"

He laughed. "I've tried, but the Night Watch caught me."

"Tell me, who are the Night Watch?"

"The Light Others who protect the humans from the Dark Others and they licence us to do things; like me to be a Vampire. Then they watch the Dark Others and try to catch them breaking the Truce. It's all so complicated."

"So, you're a Dark Other?"

"Yes, but I'm beginning to de-initiate myself."

"What exactly is an Other?"

"A human born with abilities beyond those possessed by ordinary humans, like your mother and sister. We are all soldiers in a Great Battle. Some around today but many poor souls perished long ago. I have only been around for 100 years; I know many who are centuries old. But we do not age like humans."

"What about me?"

"You have an age to live, like us."

"Am I light or Dark?"

"You have to decide for yourself."

"So, you can change once you've decided?"

Vsevolod sighed, gritting his teeth. "Touchy subject, that. I've been allowed to try and amend my decision because the Lord of Light predicted my naivety would lead me astray at an early age. And of course it did, so here I am. He allowed the Night Watch to help me try to become human again, and then I left the Day Watch; the forces of Darkness. They signed an agreement of my future to remain untroubled by either side and not to influence my decision. I can't not be a Vampire because that is what I am, but I can hide it and act less like one."

"What do you recommend for me?"

"Light of course, but I can see that already."

He smiled reassuringly.

"You may not know it yet, but you feed on light."

"I am afraid of the dark."

"And you will control that fear."

"How?"

"Night Watch will teach you."

"But when do I make my choice?"

"Soon; you'll know when the time is right."

By the time Kate and Sarah returned, Anna and Vsevolod were sat outside on the snow covered curb talking animatedly in Russian. Vsevolod promised to introduce Anna to his friend Kostya, whose father helped Vsevolod to cope with his problems and live without the Day Watch. She also learnt that not all Others joined either side and remained non-initiated; she however, rather wanted to join the side of Light. She was also told about the Inquisition, which was there to try and keep order between the two sides. However, he had not yet mentioned any people from the Night Watch as her mother and sister came over, but Anna felt sure she would soon find out who they were.

"Red Square is lovely in the snow," Sarah proclaimed.

"Of course," Vsevolod replied. "You came in early summer."

Sarah glanced down at Anna,

"Are you two getting on alright then?" she asked.

"Very well thank you," Anna replied, smiling.

"Her Russian is very good," Vsevolod noted.

"Thanks to those excellent language CDs!"

The two of them laughed, getting to their feet and brushing the snow off their trousers. The four of them went back inside to have a drink before Vsevolod had to get back on his shift. They all took their time drinking warm hot chocolate, except for Anna who treated herself to one of the pub's beers that was popular with the local Russians who came in. Anna felt she needed to get idea of what the Russians liked, besides vodka, which she was rather partial to anyway.

"You're keen to get your routes back," Vsevolod noted.

"I may as well while I'm here," Anna replied.

"What is it your doing at college again?"

"An advanced course in engineering; it covers pretty much everything really from computers, car, trucks and the National Grid. I've always been told I'm a rather gifted engineer. Along with all those other things, I have to do a bit of maths to cover more advanced topics like aerodynamics."

"You could work for Tupolev."

"Or even Rosaviakosmos!"

"You should think about doing further engineering in Moscow you know. The Moscow State University is very good for the sciences, maths and engineering. I bet they'd provide good links into the Russian aerospace, nuclear and oil industries too. You could build rockets, reactors and drills!"

"Or drive JCBs."

Vsevolod laughed. "Demolition work?"

"Maybe, or HGV driving or something."

"Or you could be an electrician."

He seemed to say that with some purpose, almost as if being an electrician was a very good option to consider. It was an unusual think to suggest, but he was probably just adding a subtle hint about her abilities. But it still seemed to her as though it should mean more than that. She decided to let that go for now; there was no point worrying about things like this which could have meant nothing. And besides, she didn't want to bring anything on that level up in front of Sarah and Kate because they did not understand.

They finished their drinks soon after that conversation, Vsevolod taking the mugs and the glasses back into the kitchen and shoving them in the dishwasher. Anna paid the old guy who owned the bar before saying goodbye to Vsevolod and leaving the pub. Now that Anna was with them, they decided to check out the Moscow metro. She was the only one among them capable of reading Russian Cyrillic, therefore the only one of them who would be able to decipher the metro map. They stood outside one of the stations, Anna studying the maps to find a station that was closest to the Kremlin.

She eventually found one and explained to Sarah and Kate that they needed to change trains once to get onto the correct line. It was no different to the London Underground system, except that the stations were in Russian Cyrillic and the map less confusing. They travelled deep into the station and bought tickets for a days travel on the metro. The lines were crowded, mostly with Eastern European speakers though there were a few Japanese, Italians and Canadians among them. No doubt all of them were trying to have a break from work, or to see some winter snow, except the Canadians were also specialists in snowy winters.

"You seem to know the metro pretty well," Sarah said as they grabbed seats on the departing train.

"Vsevolod pointed out where places were on it," Anna replied.

"Yes, you and he seem to get on rather well."

"He is my father, you know."

"In was worried he might resent it a bit."

"He never really mentioned wanting to see you again."

"I think I hurt him a bit too much, Anna."

"It's difficult for him though; tricky circumstances."

"Could you tell me what's bothering him?"

"Sorry, it's really too personal."

Sarah nodded her head and then changed the conversation to how much faster the trains seemed here than in London. She had been to London plenty of times and always came back complaining about the Underground. But any metro was like that on a bad day. At the next station, they changed trains quickly, having to run to catch the tube before it left. However, due to the ridiculous girly way Kate tried to run, they had to wait for her to hurry up, moving out of the way of hurrying Moscow businessmen. In the end, they had to wait for the tube to leave, Kate reaching them once it had disappeared into the dark tunnel.

"Nice one Kate," Anna grumbled.

"Sorry, but how do you expect me to run?" Kate asked.

"Like those Russian businessmen!"

"I can't run like a man, Anna."

"No, you just run like a tart. Listen Kate, you don't need to run like that when you're not wearing high heals and miniskirts! You can run like me or mum when wearing trousers and trainers."

"Sorry, but I rarely wear trousers and trainers."

"Then perhaps you should wear them more often."

"Please don't argue," Sarah cut in.

Anna glanced at her mother briefly, and then back to Kate.

"Luckily there's another one due in nine minutes."

They sat down on seats on the now empty platform, Anna watching the cables above the track. She narrowed her eyes, looking deeper and hearing more. She could actually see the electrons moving through them! If not see as more sense them; she'd never noticed that before. She glanced around tube station, but no one else seemed to be paying attention to the lines above. Turning round, she caught sight of a man wearing a long black coat, black jeans and a netted vest. She caught his eye, noticing that she was looking straight at her.

"There are more people now," Kate noted.

Anna was jerked back to reality, looking away from the strange, grey haired man and back to her sister. She was right; more people were beginning to filter onto the platform and wind was blowing in from the tunnel. Sarah got to her feet, Anna getting to hers and leading Kate and her mother over to the platform. Looking back, she saw that the man had now gone. The tube came into the station, slowing to a halt and opening the doors for people to get off. They crammed onto the train with everyone else until they were pushed against the railings.

"Just like London," Sarah muttered.

"Moscow has got a big population," Anna noted.

"I know, hence the crowded Underground!"

The train soon came to a halt at the station Anna wanted, Sarah and Kate following her to the open doorway. They felt suddenly able to breathe again as they travelled through towards the escalators leading out of the station. As they reached the surface, they walked along the snow covered streets until they reached the Kremlin and Red Square. It looked just as beautiful as it did on the television.

"Impressive," Anna complimented.

"They make things so big," Kate noted.

"Goes well with the country then."

Anna took her camcorder out of her bag and turned it on, taking off the lens cap. She set it to record, filming the Kremlin all the way along from where Saint Basil's stood, through to Lenin's Mausoleum, passed the Spasskiy Tower and right to the far corner of the wall. It looked beautiful in the snow with all the darkening grey cloud above it; this video recording would always remind her of the Kremlin when she went home. She glanced at the time shown by the camcorder which she had remembered to alter; it read 3:48pm. That explained why it was beginning to get dark.

They took a long, slow walk the Kremlin to take in the full size of Red Square. It was a vast open space and Anna imagined that you could possibly struggle to see from one end to the other in heavy fog. Afterwards, they trudged up through the snow towards the GUM department store to have a warm drink before they went back to the hotel. Kate had already had a long look at the clothes shops while Anna had been getting to know her father, so there was no need to stop. All they needed to do was relax and take their time seeing as they had a week to spend in Moscow. Come to think of it, they'd be here to the Millennium celebrations.

It was close to 5:00 by the time they had finished their drinks and left Red Square behind for the metro station. They got caught up in the leaving work traffic; the metro stations were getting fuller and the roads were getting busier. They were stuck on the tubes for a bit before they eventually emerged above the ground. They walked passed the small pub, Anna spotting Vsevolod still serving out drinks to people. He must have a long shift. They had to make a dash for the pedestrian crossing before the lights went back to green, but there wasn't any traffic waiting for them anyway. Anna was last to get to the crossing, but a strange noise caught her ears.

While the lights were still on red, Anna turned to look down the road. A yellow truck came speeding down towards her, the sound she had heard being the screeching of the breaks as it came to a halt. No one seemed to look at it twice, but Anna suddenly felt something unusual about it. She stared right at the driver, remembering him as the electrician she had spoken to twice now.

"Come on Anna!" Sarah shouted.

Anna heard her mother's call, managing to tear her gaze away from the van driver's. She crossed the remainder of the road, the lights turning back to green behind her and allowing the yellow truck to leave. As she watched it, she recalled what Vsevolod had said to her. Why did he think she should be an electrician? What was so special about them?

But she didn't have time to dwell much on that thought much before she followed Sarah back into the hotel. There wasn't much left of the day, so they lingered over dinner before going to bed in their rooms upstairs. Anna quickly checked the thermostat while Kate wasn't looking, happy to see that she hadn't bothered to turn in back up. She still had several thoughts orbiting about her head as she lay down in bed to go to sleep. She desperately wanted to explore Moscow alone and find out exactly what the strange, underlying forces at work were. Or perhaps Vsevolod could tell her seeing as he seemed to know a lit; she would ask him in the morning.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Anna woke up to the sound of movement some time during the night our early morning. She quickly rolled over and glanced at the digital alarm clock; the digits showed the time as being 01:29am. She heard some movement coming from Kate's bed. What a time to be up and about; she probably just needed to go to the bathroom or something. But as she settled back down to try and sleep again, the only door she heard open was the door to the corridor outside. She sat up, watching as Kate left the bedroom for the dark corridor outside.

"Kate!" she hissed.

He sister made no response. Sighing, Anna got to her feet and attempted to switch on the light; there was no power and the alarm clock was battery operated. She ferreted around inside her suitcase, picking up a large, heavy duty Duracell torch she had sent off for with tokens from the backs of battery packs. What a relief gut instinct told her to bring this; it was ultra bright with extra long battery life too. A proper search light and just the thing to find Kate with.

Switching it on, she left the room for the corridor outside; thank goodness for winter pyjamas that not only kept you warm but didn't leave you feeling under dressed outside. Anna followed Kate up the stairs, her younger sister not seeming to be bothered about the bright beam of light behind her. Where the hell was she going and how on earth could she see in the pitch black? Anna glanced nervously down the dark corridors; she hated power cuts because she hated the dark. Vsevolod had even said that would 'influence her choice' what ever that meant.

Quietly, Kate carried on up towards the eighth floor, Anna following her relentlessly. What a climb; seeing as there was a power cut, she doubted that the lift was working as she thought about it. Kate then left the stairwell and carried on off down the corridor, Anna also leaving the stairs to keep on her tail. This was quite surreal. She gripped the torch tightly against her shoulder; now she was beginning to feel rather anxious. There was something in the darkness that was unpleasant and it seemed to be luring Kate towards an open door. What would be through there?

Anna stood still and watched as Kate turned round and stood in the doorway of the room, staring straight ahead. Anna noticed that her nose was bleeding. Slowly, Kate walked into the room, but there were no further sounds as she disappeared from sight. Had she been setting herself up with some sleazy, clean shaven blonde tourist or something? But something else told her no; this was far more serious. Taking a deep breath, Anna walked towards the room, slowly entered and held up the search light to make the darkness shrink back.

"Oh my god!" Kate exclaimed.

Anna's eyes widened in shock. Kate had been grabbed from her shoulders by a familiar looking man. It was the guy with the long, greasy blonde hair and moustache that she'd seen in the restaurant on their first evening in Moscow. The same man who had talked to her this morning and that the electricians visiting the hotel seemed to be interested in.

"What is that?" Kate shouted.

"Stay calm," Anna replied.

"How can I? Something's just grabbed my arm!"

"I know, I can see him."

"Him? But there's no one here!"

Anna didn't reply to that. She looked at the man who was still holding her sister by the shoulder blades. The man glanced down at Kate briefly, smirking slightly before turning back to look at Anna. She backed off, holding the light steady as the man grinned at her, showing off his pronounced canines.

"You're after her blood, aren't you?" Anna queried.

"And you expected anything else?" the Vampire replied.

"Why can't she see you?"

"Because I am in the Gloom."

"Then why can I see you?"

"You are stuck between this world and the Gloom because of lack of experience."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"It'll take you if you don't back out."

"I really don't understand what you…"

"Time's running out."

But they were soon interrupted by the sound of more people running into the room with torches, several Russian voices shouting at once.

"This is Night Watch!" said the first.

"Semyon, get her out of the Gloom," said another.

Anna felt a cold darkness pull at her; a familiar darkness which she knew she'd seen before. From the expression on Kate's face, she could no longer see anyone around her. Suddenly, she felt a man's hands on her. She relaxed back into the warmth of whoever it was, swatting at the mosquitoes in front of her. But as the man behind her encircled her in his arms, she felt the darkness retreat.

"You're not ready for this yet," a familiar voice told her.

Anna looked back to her sister, watching as she was shoved away into the corner of the room, apparently by nothing. Now the Vampire had vanished, and the only people she could see in the room were her sister and the man behind her. A mirror on the wall soon shattered into fragments, Anna flinching at the sound.

"Have you got him?" the man behind her asked.

"He'll come cleanly," replied a disembodied voice.

"What's going on?" Kate screamed.

No one was listening to her as she sat on the floor, cowering on the floor in her small, thin pyjamas. Anna then watched as the lights on the ceiling came back on and the rest of the people in the room appeared. Bear and Anton were wrestling with the Vampire, who had his own blood streaming down his face from where it had been smashed into the mirror. From behind, Vyacheslav and Tiger Cub arrived, aiming their torches at the Vampire, who raised his hands to protect his face.

"Alright!" he protested. "I surrender!"

"You're under arrest," Vyacheslav stated.

"Fucking Night Watch at it again."

"Hey, we're doing out job mate."

"And I want to do mine!"

"We're not the ones breaking the Truce."

"Who are you all?" Anna cut in.

They all turned round to regard her.

"I already know what he is," she added.

"Tell her Semyon," Vyacheslav replied.

Semyon released Anna from his embrace, keeping one arm about her shoulders for good measure as he turned her round to face him. He smiled at her, her expression becoming clearer.

"You're the electrician!" she proclaimed.

"Technically yes," he replied. "My name is Semyon; I am an officer of the Night Watch. My comrades here are Anton, Lena, Ilya and Vyacheslav. Lena and Ilya are also known as Tiger Cub and Bear respectively, but you'll find out why later."

Each of the others nodded in turn.

"You are like us too," Semyon finished.

"You're all Others," Anna replied.

Vyacheslav nodded. "We're Light Others."

"Like my father's a Dark Other."

"You did speak to him then?"

"Just today, yes."

"Are you going to arrest me or what?" the Vampire exclaimed, angrily. "Or are you just going to hang around like lemons and tell your Lost Other about all the things she's missed over in England?"

Vyacheslav sighed. "Take him away."

Bear and Anton dragged the Vampire away, Tiger Cub remaining behind to take some photographs of the crime scene before leaving. Vyacheslav fiddled around inside his jacket pocket for a pad and a pen.

"I'll fill out this for out friend," he noted.

"What about the girl?" Semyon asked.

Vyacheslav looked over to Kate, who was still cowering in the corner.

"Hmm, I deal with that first," he stated.

"What are you going to do?" Kate asked, fearfully.

"Do something to relax you."

Vyacheslav indicated for Kate to come over. She glanced swiftly at Anna, who nodded and indicated for her to go with the man. Nervously, Kate got to her feet and was lead out of the room by Vyacheslav.

"What's he really going to do?" Anna asked.

"Wipe her memory of tonight," Semyon replied, offhandedly.

"Isn't that dangerous?"

"Vyacheslav knows what he's doing."

"Is that his gift then?"

"Amongst other things; he got you into this country."

"How?"

"By putting a thought into the head of the customs officer."

"So what's your gift then?"

"Oh, I'm a good driver! I'm a tough fighter…"

He trailed off and glanced down at her.

"Often underestimated, I can protect. I am a Magician and a Seer."

"And what does that do?"

"I can have visions of the future, mostly in order to protect someone which has been your father of late and people of the Inquisition. My main expertise is magic of course, but you'll have to find out what I can do yourself."

He winked at her, playfully.

"What about the rest of your comrades?"

"Anton's a Seer, Bear and Tiger Cub are shape shifters."

"What a wonderful bunch you are."

"Indeed!"

"So what am I?"

"A lot of that depends on what you choose to be and how far your powers stretch. I gather that you are fast at learning things; hence your fluency in Russian and your ability to come out of the Gloom on instruction. As for your power, I'm not sure what you can do, but I get the feeling from you that you feed off light like us."

"Does that mean I am a Light Other?"

"If you choose to be. You could be dark."

"When do I make my choice?"

"When ever you are ready, but do not be too long over taking your time! Going for too long without instruction in your gift is not good for you; you can die. But in the end, it's your decision and yours alone."

"But what do I do?"

"You could join the Night Watch."

"And the what? Hunt Vampires?"

"Catch Dark Others breaking the Truce, yes."

"What's the Truce?"

Semyon raised his hand to silence her.

"Geser will tell you that," he explained.

He caught her expression. "The Lord of Light."

"The boss of Gorsvet?"

"Exactly!"

"So what is the Vampire being arrested for?"

"Killing illegally; he's been charged with it before, but trust me, as much as you arrest them, they never learn. He targets young children mostly; a lot of them homeless. However, I think he had an extra motive trying to get your sister. I believe he wanted to try and force you to turn Dark."

"How did you know to come here?"

"Anton saw, and I drove!"

He smiled at her and lead her out of them room, keeping his arm about her shoulders. The lights in the building had now come back on, but none of the people staying here had come out to investigate all the commotion. Semyon lead Anna down the stairs towards the room on the third floor where Vyacheslav was standing outside talking to Sarah.

"Vyacheslav!" Semyon called.

"Alright," he replied, turning back to Sarah. "We need to take your older daughter with us to the station."

"Why?" Sarah asked.

"To write a statement about what happened here tonight; she and the man she's with. Your younger daughter is in no state to, and only your eldest daughter and the electrician were there to see what happened. Their evidence into this will be good enough to support a trial and imprison the man."

"Has he gone now?"

"It's all been taken care of."

"Is it safe then?"

"Of course! Good night, Mrs. Smith."

He turned away as he closed the door, taking the lead as he joined Anna and Semyon and went down to the ground floor. They left for the outside, Semyon taking off his jacket and wrapping it around Anna's shoulders. She thanked him quickly as she climbed into the yellow Gorsvet van, Vyacheslav squashing in next to her and Semyon getting in behind the steering wheel.

"You spoke to my mum in Russian," Anna told Vyacheslav.

"But I was translating telepathically," he replied.

"You're Vyacheslav then."

He nodded. "Vyacheslav Berezkev."

"Berezkev? You're Maxim's brother!"

"I've heard about you from him."

"So you knew I was coming?"

"It fitted well with Anton's visions."

"What a pity I never had them," Semyon added.

"Would you have liked to?" Vyacheslav asked, curiously.

"Oh yeah!"

He glanced down at Anna and smirked.

"You'd have filled my dreams nicely!"

He laughed and put his foot down on the accelerator, driving off away from the hotel. Vyacheslav picked up his black phone and dialled a number, holding it to his ear and waiting for the other person to pick up. Eventually, after waiting for the other person to reply, he spoke.

"Yes we're arrested him," he said.

There was a pause as the other person spoke.

"And we have Anna Vsevolovna."

Anna smiled at that; it made her sound more Russian.

"Yes, we're on our way now."

Vyacheslav put the phone down, Semyon having to make a quick turn as he nearly forgot it.

"You'll be best to use your Russian name," Vyacheslav told Anna. "It'll be less confusing for everyone because we don't do English names very well. When you go down on record, you'll be using your father's name; Anna Vsevolovna Kepalenko."

"Sounds good," she replied.

"Others are usually Russian."

"Usually?"

"Well, we have a few half Czechs, Poles and Serbs."

"You're all Slavs!"

"Of course! Even you are Slavic, if only half."

Semyon smirked. "Sounds better, doesn't it?"

Anna smiled at him. "Much better."

They soon arrived outside the Gorsvet Headquarters, Semyon parking his yellow truck outside. They wall climbed out, Bear and Anton taking the Vampire with them while Tiger Cub followed them with bags full of evidence. Semyon put an arm about Anna's shoulders as he lead her up the stairs into the Gorsvet building. They reached the top floor where the main office was and they walked in. Behind a desk, Anna saw for the first time, the Lord of Light; he was an average looking Russian with a bald head and rather on the overweight side.

"Ah Semyon!" Geser spoke from behind his desk.

"Anton's seeing to the Vampire," Semyon replied.

"I see you've brought Anna with you."

"Of course. She went after her sister while she was responding to the Vampire's call. I have every reason to believe that it was his intention to lure Anna there to make her join the Day Watch."

"Zavulon is up to something again."

"I think he made sure that he was staying there."

"You said you saw Alisa outside of the hotel."

"Watching the place like a fucking hawk."

"Do you think the Vampire was one of hers?"

"Most likely; I really hate that woman!"

Geser glanced at Anna briefly before turning back to Semyon.

"Perhaps she and Anna should meet."

"To put Anna off turning Dark you mean?"

Both of them laughed, Semyon turning to the attention of Anna's nonplussed expression. He smiled at her.

"What would you rather do?" he asked her. "Work in some dodgy nightclub or be an electrician?"

"I think you know the answer to that," Anna replied.

"Shall I get you a tool box then?"

"Semyon," Geser cut in. "She needs to hear more about the situation before she makes her choice. Although I can already guess which side she will take, seeing as you've made an attachment to her, I need to be sure I'm letting her no the story. I cannot be accused of influencing her choice."

"The story's enough to settle anyone's mind!"

"Perhaps so."

"But in the end, she's come to us Geser."

Geser sighed and glanced at Anna.

"I'd like to know anyway," she stated. "Just out of interest."

"Then take a seat," Geser replied.

Semyon pulled up a chair for her at the end of the long table, he sitting down next to her. Geser sat down at his desk and began to explain to Anna about the situation that brought about the Truce. How the forces of Light went about protecting humans from the Dark Others, who tortured mankind. Then he explained about the bloody battle on the bridge where Geser and Zavulon forged the Truce and the forces of Night Watch and Day Watch were formed. The key thing that was eventually agreed was that no Other could be forced to good or evil without choosing for themselves.

"That is why it's up to you," Geser concluded.

"So, you were there from the beginning?" Anna asked.

"Oh yes, even Semyon."

Anna glanced at him.

Semyon nodded. "I've been around for a long time, but don't let that fact bother you! I've been this young, healthy and good looking for all those millennia! I even stepped on a landmine in 1941, you know."

He observed her concerned expression.

"I'm alright though," he added.

"Of course he is!" Geser added. "I healed him."

"But what if the Dark forces are defeated?"

"The Day Watch cannot be defeated; the Truce forged between myself and Zavulon will not allow that to happen. Neither can really exist without the other, and this fight will go on for centuries to come, trust me. The Day Watch look out for Light Others breaking the Truce; it's a nasty game to play and Zavulon is dead set on winning it. Legend says that a Great Other will appear who is more powerful than any Other in existence today, and they shall break the balance. If they choose dark, then the Darkness will conquer and if they choose light, then the Light will conquer."

"Any sign of the Great Other?" Anna asked.

"No."

"We're all looking out," Semyon added.

"As are the Inquisition."

"Who are they? A third force?" Anna asked.

"They keep the Dark and Light Others from killing each other."

"It is a nasty business, then."

"So, are you ready?"

Anna sighed; this was so difficult and would possibly be the most important decision of her life. But then she found herself glancing at Semyon's pleasant face. There was a reason why she kept thinking about him, and other one for why Vsevolod suggested she should become an electrician. In her situation, there was only one choice she could make.

"Do I get one of these cool jackets too?" she asked.

Geser laughed. "Of course."

Semyon laughed and got to his feet, pulling Anna up off her seat and embracing her roughly. Laughing herself, she encircled him in her arms and relaxed against his podgy form, closing her eyes for a moment. Now this was the reason why she needed to come to Moscow; to find out where she belonged. Two things had worked themselves out today, not just the fact she'd been reunited with her real father. She had discovered why she could do strange things with her mind and she had found a man she felt she could grow feelings for. Yes, he was older than herself, but because Others did not age and die like humans, it didn't matter.

Geser took down Anna's size measurements and left the officer to get her some Gorsvet gear. She took the offer of a Gorsvet own T-shirt, a pair of trainers and Gorsvet combats too, seeing as it was most likely she'd end up going back to the hotel in her pyjamas other wise. She took of Semyon's jacket and handed it back to him, he taking it and putting it back on.

"We'll introduce you tomorrow," he told her.

"I guess it is a bit late now," Anna agreed.

"It's too late to take you back to the hotel."

"Will I have to stay here then?"

"Well, I was thinking that you are most welcome to stay over at my place tonight. You know, just for the night. I mean, I don't mind sleeping on the sofa for a change while you take the more comfy option."

"Really, if it's too much trouble I'll stay here."

"Oh no, I insist!"

She smiled at him. "In that case, I accept."

Geser returned back with a carrier bag containing the clothes he had fetched for Anna. She took them, Geser turning round and leaving her in peace to get changed. She put the carrier bag on the table and emptied out the contents; a Gorsvet jackets, black T-shirt with a Gorsvet company logo on it, khaki combat trousers and black trainers. She glanced up at Semyon, who was stood waiting for her.

"You too Semyon," she stated.

"Me too what?" he asked, confused.

"Leave the room while I get changed!"

"Oh sorry!"

He laughed and shared a smirk with her before turning around the leave the room. Ana watched him leave with a playful smile on her face, stopping him for a moment just before he opened the door.

"Semyon!" she called.

He turned back round.

"Nice arse, mate."

He blushed at that, opening the door and leaving Anna to get changed in Geser's office. Eventually, she changed into her knew clothes, stuffing her pyjamas back into the empty plastic bag. She left the office, standing next to Semyon who was standing talking with his boss.

"Very nice," Semyon observed.

"Thank you," she replied.

"But you're missing something," Geser noted.

He took a pair of dark sunglasses out of his pocket, handing them over to Anna. She took them and put them on, Semyon smiling and draping an arm about her shoulders.

"A perfect officer of the Night Watch," he proclaimed

"You'll need a partner," Geser noted.

"Hmm, like real police then12

"I think you and Semyon will make a good team. I might pair you up with Anton from time to time as well to keep him out of trouble. He's been cautioned by the Day Watch a few times has out Anton. The only one with a real clean record is Semyon, but he's been labelled down for verbal abuse occasionally."

"What a fucking stupid crime," Semyon grumbled.

"I can imagine," Anna replied, nodding her head.

"Do you have a place to stay for tonight?"

"Yeah, I'm taking her home," Semyon replied.

"Alright, but behave yourself!"

"Of course I will, you can always trust me."

They all laughed amongst themselves.

"Loyal Semyon," Geser noted, smiling.

Semyon and Anna left Geser to go back into his office, going back downstairs. They climbed into the yellow truck, Anna noticing how warm the Gorsvet jackets kept her in the cold air. Semyon drove them away from the city centre towards one of the inner city suburbs, eventually stopping outside an old concrete tower block.

"Not exactly fine," Semyon growled. "But it's home."

"Then I'm sure it will do," Anna replied.

"You might be coming here often."

"Don't push your luck, Semyon."

He laughed and winked at her, both of them getting out of the van. Semyon showed her through inside and up the stairwell to where his flat was situated on the fifth floor of the tower block. There were a couple of cracks in the walls and some of the paint was peeling off, but it was alright and definitely cosy. The one thing that did stand out was the wide screen TV in front of the sofa.

"Alright," Semyon began. "Kitchen's over there, bedroom's in there and the bathroom is there. Easy; it's all on one floor. You can sleep over in the room and I'll stay in here on this."

Anna eyed up the sofa critically.

"You wont fit on that!" she laughed.

"Oi, watch it," Semyon growled.

"I guess I shouldn't mind pinching your bed."

"I insist; it would be rude of me to offer the sofa."

"Thank you Semyon."

He shrugged. "We could always share I suppose."

"You're pushing it again."

He smirked. "Sorry."

"I'll be seeing you in the morning."

"I'd better leave a message at the hotel to let your mother know why you didn't come back. I'll have to say that you stayed overnight at the station or something. I'll have to ask them to translate."

"She would worry, I guess."

"Of course she would!"

"Good night Semyon."

She leaned over and kissed his cheek, disappearing off into the bedroom and shutting the door behind her. Semyon smirked to himself and cleared his throat, picking up the phone to call the hotel. This was a good day.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Anna woke up the next day feeling rather refreshed after the night's events. She'd remembered having a very vivid dream about Semyon and herself venturing into the back of the Gorsvet truck. Then Geser had told Semyon off for not behaving himself. Anna blushed; she'd better not mention this to anyone else. She got out of bed and dressed, suddenly remembering that she was still in Semyon's flat. She glanced at her watch; the digits on the LCD display read 8:28am. They needed to be at the hotel for around 9:00 to catch Sarah and Kate during breakfast. Hopefully they would have had a translated message from Semyon.

She left the bedroom and entered the living room, seeing that Semyon had not yet woken. She blushed again; he had thrown off his blanket during the night and was now sprawled out on the sofa snoring, dressed only in a vest and a rather tight fitting pair of shorts. Anna sat down on the chair near to the sofa and put on the TV, flicking through until she eventually found a news channel. Semyon woke up to the sound of the TV, grumbling a little as he sat up.

"You're an early riser," he growled.

"Not really," Anna replied. "It is 8:30."

"Bugger! I thought it was earlier than that."

"You can't really tell in the winter when it's dark 'til quite late."

"Hmm. Come on, we need to get to the hotel."

"You're not going dressed like that are you?"

"Of course not! I did plan on getting changed first."

She laughed. "Do you want me to leave?"

"No, it doesn't bother me."

He pulled off his vest and revealed his podgy stomach and chest, Anna averting her gaze back to the television as her face reddened. The memory of her dream last night came back to her, but the sound of Semyon's laugh quickly brought her back to reality.

"I'll invite you to look if you like," he noted.

"Semyon!" Anna exclaimed, horrified.

"What?"

"That's… well… disgusting!"

"Perfectly natural for you to want to."

Anna didn't reply to that. Yes she liked Semyon, but they'd not known each other long enough to expand on their relationship just yet. However, something told her that it was most likely she and Semyon would eventually form a close and intimate companionship. She smirked a little; of all the muscular, good looking men she'd smiled at over the past year or two, she found a podgy, balding, unshaven and very pleasant Russian the most attractive. Everything seemed to draw her towards Semyon and he seemed affected by it a bit too. Eventually, he sat back down on the sofa now fully dressed with his Gorsvet jacket on.

"Anything good on?" he asked her.

"A bit of news," Anna shrugged.

"TV gets worse every year."

"Hmm, English TV is just as bad."

"Watching TV is much more fun when Vyacheslav's around. Because he's a psychic, he will tell you exactly what each reporter is thinking, and trust me; most of it is totally different to what they're saying!"

"I'll have to remember that."

"Don't worry; he does it every time we watch something."

"Absolutely any kind of programme?"

"Oh yes; documentaries, cookery programmes, Star Trek, you name it!"

"Star Trek?"

"Yeah! He caught Patrick Stuart thinking about his lunch once."

The both laughed.

"Come on, let's go," Semyon said eventually.

They got to their feet, Semyon swiping his keys up from the top of the side table. They left the flat block quickly via the staircase, Semyon leading her over to where he'd parked his yellow van. They sat inside it, fastening their seatbelts for the journey and heading off towards the hotel.

"What's it called again?" Semyon asked.

"Cosmos," Anna replied.

"That's the one!"

He turned a corner sharply.

"You'll have to start work soon."

Anna glanced at him. "What will I be doing?"

"You know, fixing the lights and stuff…"

He trailed off and winked at her.

"Catching Dark Others breaking the Truce," he added.

"I was wondering if I could learn to drive," Anna queried.

"You can't drive already?"

"No, it was too expensive to learn."

"Well, I suppose I could teach you."

"I learn fast, I assure you."

"I'll be happy to test that out."

They arrived outside the hotel a moment later, Semyon switching off the engine and releasing his stomach from the seatbelt. Ahead of him, a black car pulled up and parked in another space, a woman getting out of it. Anna recognised her as the unattractive one the Night Watch shared an unfriendly conversation with.

"Not that fucking bitch," Semyon growled.

"Who is that?" asked Anna curiously.

"Alisa Donnikova, one of Zavulon's best Dark Witches."

"The one Geser said would put me off the Day Watch?"

"Spot on! She and her friend Piotr are as bad as each other."

Grumbling away with irritation, Semyon got out of the van and slammed the door shut, walking around to the other side as Alisa was busy scrutinising him. He opened the door and took Anna's hand, helping her out of the door and shutting the door. They walked over to the entrance of the Cosmos hotel, attempting to avoid Alisa but she stopped them.

"Day Watch," she said, pointedly.

"Yes?" Semyon asked, grumbling.

Alisa ignored the Magician and turned to Anna. "Turned Light then?"

"Yes," Anna replied, aggressively.

"Were you forced to make your decision?"

"Certainly not; that's against the Truce and the Inquisition would not allow it,"

"You could have been more powerful with us," Alisa carried on.

"Unlikely; I feed on light not darkness."

"Clearly that is the case. Does your father know?"

"He will do; he wanted me to choose the Light."

"I bet that little traitor did."

"Leave Vsevolod alone," Semyon cut in, angrily.

Alisa turned to him, her expression becoming acidic.

"Semyon Pavlovich," she snarled. "Still here."

"Of course, much to your boss's dislike, I imagine."

Alisa turned back to Anna.

"What can you possibly see in this man?" she asked.

"A very lovable person," replied Anna defiantly.

"Does the Light blind you then?"

"Watch your mouth, Witch."

"And get the fuck out of here!" Semyon growled.

"Your language is shocking, Semyon Pavlovich!" Alisa responded.

"Bugger off!"

Semyon put an arm about Anna's shoulders and walked away from Alisa, entering the hotel. Fortunately, Alisa decided against following them and got back into the car, Piotr driving off. Semyon and Anna entered the hotel restaurant, noticing that Kate and Sarah were not yet around. For now, Anna fetched herself and Semyon a bit of breakfast to avoid him paying, joining her companion back at the table. He was sat watching the black car wait at a set of traffic lights before being released.

"Don't listen to her," Semyon snarled.

"She was right about one thing," Anna noted.

"About what?"

"Your language is shocking!"

He laughed and gently brushed her cheek with the back of his hand.

"One of my many charms," he purred.

"Hmm, quite smooth then Semyon," Anna smirked.

He shrugged. "I can be for you."

"I feel very privileged."

"A tone of voice I've never used, so I'll be trying it out on you."

They shared a smile, Anna's gaze being drawn into Semyon's pleasant face and his dark blue eyes. However, as soon as her mother entered the restaurant and headed over to the breakfast table, Anna was drawn back to reality. Semyon cleared his throat and shifted slightly in his seat.

"I'll need to explain to your mother about me," he noted.

"I could explain you," Anna shrugged, smiling at him.

"I'm supposed to be an electrician, not a police officer; remember!"

"Didn't Vyacheslav tell them you witness the events?"

"Yes he did, but I need you to tell her that."

Anna looked confused. "Can you not tell her yourself?"

"I can't speak English!"

"Oh right!"

Sarah soon came to join them at the table with her breakfast, sitting down besides Anna. She glanced at Semyon, who smiled briefly and then turned back to Anna, feeling a little uncomfortable.

"I need Vyacheslav!" he proclaimed.

"I'll handle it," Anna replied reassuringly.

"Tell her about you having a job."

"A job?"

"You know, without mentioning the Night Watch!"

"Of course! Yes, I'll make something up."

"Thank you."

Anna turned to face her mother.

"Who's your friend?" Sarah asked.

"Semyon," Anna replied. "He's an electrician."

"He was with you last night, too.

"I know; he's the same guy I was chatting up outside the airport. You remember there was a power cut last night when Kate was attacked. Well, Semyon was there fixing the lights and he saw the man luring Kate into the hotel room. He was a witness to the event too, so the police wanted him to write a statement about it. He and I got a little friendly, so we decided that I'd stay with him overnight and come back this morning."

"Are you alright?"

"Fine! Semyon's lovely."

Sarah glanced at him.

"Does he speak English?" she asked, trying not to sound rude.

"No," Anna replied.

"Thankfully you can speak his language then!"

"I know; he complimented me on my Russian."

"You'll have to teach him English."

"Hmm, perhaps. I've got a job, too."

"Really? What kind of job?"

"An electrician for Semyon's company."

"Do you know how to do that kind of work?"

"Oh yeah! My first year of the engineering course talked a bit about electrical engineering and fittings; the ones in Russia aren't that different. All I really need are some extra skills that the company will train me in. For example, Semyon's going to teach me how to driver the yellow vans."

"So you're going to be working in Moscow?"

"Yeah, for the City Light Company."

"But what about coming home?"

Anna paused; she hadn't thought of that. However, she wasn't able to say anything in response to that because Kate came down and fetched her usual nondescript breakfast before coming to join them. Semyon glanced at the small salad on her plate, his expression rather shocked.

"Is that all you eat?" he asked.

Kate stared at him. "What?"

"Sorry," Anna cut in. "Semyon can't speak English."

"Well what the hell did he say?"

"He asked if that's all you eat."

Kate observed the Russian critically.

"Just because he's fat doesn't mean I have to be."

Anna looked taken aback. "Less of that!"

"Sorry, but he is fat."

"Only podgy Kate."

Semyon glanced at Anna, looking confused.

"Can I get paid to be your translator?" Anna queried, smiling.

"Sorry, Vyacheslav's our translator," he replied.

"I thought so. She was just saying that she… err… likes to eat so-called healthy food. She's paranoid that she'll get fat, so she won't eat fatty foods. She's almost borderline dangerously underweight, but she won't listen to anyone."

She decided against telling him what Kate said.

"I love my food!" Semyon proclaimed.

"Kate picked up on that," Anna replied.

"Did she now? At least I'm not anorexic."

"You're nice and cuddly Semyon!"

She leaned over and ruffled the hair on the back of his head, smiling at him warmly. Semyon winked at her and called over the waiter, fetching out his wallet. Clearly all this talk about food was making him feel a little hungry and wanted something a bit more substantial for breakfast than cereal.

"Are you staying here?" the waiter asked.

"No I'm visiting," Semyon replied.

"Are you paying the bill then?"

"Yeah."

"Ok. Your order please?"

"Hmm…"

He picked up the menu and looked down at the Russian version of the breakfast list, ignoring the English translation. Anna watched him with a smirk on her face, almost dying to tell the waiter that he'd eat pretty much anything there. It was unusual; even though she had only known Semyon for about a day, it almost felt like she'd known him for a long time.

"What's a Full English Breakfast?" he asked.

"You don't know?" Anna questioned, laughing.

"I'm no good with foreign food."

"A lot of Russians like it," the waiter explained. "If you want a large one, you get two sausages, four bits of smoked bacon, beans, three fried eggs and a choice side option of friend bread, tomatoes or mushrooms."

"Hmm, I think I'll take all three side options!"

"Anything else?"

"Do you do streaky bacon?"

"Of course."

"Burnt to a crisp"

"Can do, yes."

"With brown sauce?"

"Imported British HP."

"It's a deal!"

Semyon smiled and leaned back, not suppressing a rumble from his stomach. Anna laughed at him and ruffled his hair again, leaning over and kissing his stubbly cheek. He reddened slightly but smiled broadly all the same. Sarah and Kate stared at him slightly before looking back to Anna, who shrugged.

"He was just deciding over breakfast," Anna replied.

"And what is he having?" Sarah asked.

"Full English Breakfast."

"Isn't that full of meat?" Kate asked.

"Sausages and bacon, yes."

"But I'm vegetarian."

"Semyon isn't and he's the one eating it!"

"I'll have to look away then."

Kate disappeared off to get some fruit juice, Semyon glancing at Anna.

"She's vegetarian," Anna sighed.

"Insane!" Semyon replied.

Clearly Semyon was very particular about food, and anyone who had a dislike for large portions of it must have come across as a little strange. Especially vegetarians. There was a sudden loud banging on the window outside, Semyon jumping and almost falling backwards off his chair. Outside, the other four Night Watch officers she'd met last night were hammering on the window. Semyon indicated for them to come inside, turning back away from the window.

"Time for introductions Anna," he told her.

"Over breakfast too!" Anna replied, smiling.

Eventually, Tiger Cub, Bear, Anton and Vyacheslav showed up, moving over to wear Semyon sat with Anna and Sarah. They each pulled up chairs and crowded around, taking off their sunglasses.

"Hello again Anna," Anton greeted.

"Well, you'll be seeing a lot more of me," Anna replied, happily.

"Excellent, you did join the Night Watch!"

"There was no other choice for me really."

"I heard you spent the night at Semyon's," Vyacheslav cut in.

Anna blushed. "It was kind of him to offer."

"Hey Semyon!" Bear laughed. "Getting on well eh?"

"Shut up, you're a fine one to talk!" Semyon replied.

Bear slipped an arm about Tiger Cub's shoulder, she laughed and returning the gesture about his waste. Sarah had now become completely confused by all the people speaking Russian that she decided to stop asking her daughter for a translation. Kate soon returned and sat down by her mother, glancing around at all of the well built Russian people with shock.

"Who are all these people?" asked Kate.

"My friends," Anna replied.

"You've got a few."

"We're all electricians."

Vyacheslav glanced over to Kate.

"Are you alright after yesterday?" he asked.

"A little," Kate replied.

"Good. He's been arrested now."

"How come you can speak English?"

Vyacheslav shrugged. "I learnt it."

"I thought you were a police officer."

"Err, FSB! Special police, I also work as an electrician to hide myself."

Semyon laughed at that, only succeeding in earning a glare off Vyacheslav. Eventually, his breakfast came on a large plate, the waiter being careful not to spill all of the food over the side. Semyon smirked and began to eat straight away, ignoring the expressions of hunger on the faces of his comrades. Kate looked at it rather disgustedly, Anna glancing at her.

"It's healthy enough," Anna noted.

"But it's all fried!" Kate replied.

"Lots of protein."

"But he's fat not muscular."

Vyacheslav flinched at that remark and Semyon dropped his fork onto his plate, the other Night Watch officers looking a little offended about it. Anna suddenly understood; Vyacheslav had been translating English into Russian for them all, so they had all understood what Kate had said perfectly clearly. Semyon looked rather hurt, his deep blue eyes expressing it.

"Take that back Kate," Anna warned.

"Why?" she asked. "It's true."

"He's offended, now take it back!"

"But he can't understand me!"

"Secret technology," Vyacheslav cut in with more stories. "I'm an officer of the FSB as I told you before; this secret police force gave me a unique device that translates English into Russian. I use it to spy on people and catch criminals. Unfortunately, I keep leaving it on by accident and it affects all of the Russians within its radius. That's how Semyon understood you."

"So take it back," Anna added.

Kate glanced at Semyon, no hint of an apology on her face.

"Change your diet and no one will offend you," she noted curtly.

"Hey that's not good enough!" Anna growled.

"It's perfectly true."

"Miserable bitch," grumbled Semyon.

He continued to shovel down his breakfast, Sarah watching him with fascination. The other Night Watch officers watched him too, all of them beginning to look hungry. Perhaps they'd all soon start ordering large breakfasts too. Anna smiled, absently regarding Semyon and watching every move he took. He was such a nice man.

"You said he'd eat anything Anna?" Sarah queried.

"So long as it tastes good I imagine," Anna replied.

"Well, it'll be nice if you would bring home a boyfriend who'd appreciate my cooking. None of Kate's ever have and you've never had any to bring home. I always end up cooking far too much, so I guess that would make your Semyon happy."

Semyon glanced up from his breakfast and nodded.

Anna smiled. "I think he'd like that."

"He's your boyfriend?" Kate asked, sneering a little.

"Button it Kate."

Semyon was even able to clean up the rest of his plate with the fried bread, leaning back into his chair. He smiled and stretched, happily massaging his satisfied stomach. Anna laughed at him.

"Full?" she asked.

"Only just," he replied with a playful wink.

Vyacheslav turned to Sarah briefly.

"If it's alright with you, I'd ask if we could all join you at the Cosmos for dinner this evening," he offered. "We'll all pay for out own food of course, but we need to discuss your daughter's future. Plus we could all do with eating some decent food for once!"

"I guess that'll be alright," Sarah replied.

"Excellent! What time shall we come?"

"Around 6:30 will be good."

"That'll do nicely. We'll need eight seats then."

"That's certainly a good crowd!"

"I can set the translator to go both ways, so we'll all be able to understand each other with none of this asking. Trust me, it's perfectly safe. That then means no more remarks about the weight of some of our team."

Kate blushed.

"Of course," Sarah replied. "I'm sorry about that."

"Not your fault. Have you seen Vsevolod Kepalenko?"

"You know about him?"

"Yes; he's Anna's father. Have you seen him?"

"He doesn't seem to want me to see him."

"That's good. Please don't either, it's personal why."

"Anna has told me that."

"Trust me; it's about Vsevolod himself, not you."

"I can understand why it could be about me."

"But it's not, so don't worry about it."

"Alright."

The waiter came over to collect Semyon's plate and the money for the food. All of them got to their feet, Anna glancing up at Semyon who smiled and offered her his hand. She took it and got up, Vyacheslav noticing that and turning to Sarah once more.

"Do you mind if Anna comes with us?" he asked.

She turned to Anna. "Where are you going?"

"Semyon's teaching me how to drive," Anna explained.

"Well, I suppose that is alright."

"Brilliant!"

"Don't worry," Vyacheslav added. "She's in good hands."

"I'm sure she is."

Anna said goodbye to her family for a bit, being lead out of the breakfast room by her comrades in the Night Watch. Semyon slipped an arm about her shoulders, turning to speak to her.

"Geser will want to see you first," he stated.

"What about?" asked Anna, curiously.

"Controlling your power."

"Of course, that is important."

He winked at her. "Then we'll drive."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Anna was looking forwards to learning how to drive with Semyon, but before that, she was intrigued to learn how Geser was going to teach her to use her gift. She wasn't even certain about the full extent of her power, only that she could things with electricity. At the Gorsvet Headquarters, Semyon took Anna's hand and lead her up to Geser's office at the top floor of the building. They walked in, Anna remembering the long table from her visit to see the Lord of Light last night.

"Are you fitting in well so far?" Geser asked.

"Certainly Boris Ignatovich," Anna replied.

"Did you behave yourself last night Semyon Pavlovich?"

"As ever sir," Semyon replied.

Geser glanced at Anna, who smiled and nodded.

"Good to hear," he noted. "Please take a seat."

Semyon lead Anna to the far end of the table closest to the desk, pulling out a chair for her to sit on. She sat down, Geser pulling out another chair and sitting down opposite her. He glanced up at Semyon, who was still hovering around waiting to see what he could do.

"Would you like to stay Semyon?" Geser asked.

"If you don't mind sir," he replied.

"Then take a seat my friend; you seem to have developed quite a strong friendship with out new recruit. This is very promising for you Anna. Semyon is a good man and he deserves to have a good woman as a companion; I'm sure you'll fill that one empty space in his life nicely."

She blushed and glanced at Semyon quickly.

"It would be a privilege," she said eventually.

"Of course," Geser replied.

"It doesn't take much to charm her," Semyon noted.

He smiled, leaning back in his seat and indicating for Geser to continue. The boss nodded his head and turned back to Anna, who was waiting expectantly to begin her training for the Night Watch.

"To your gift then Anna," he began.

"You said I need to control it," Anna replied.

"Of course; if you do not learn then you could die."

"I've been told that I learn fast."

"That does seem to be the case, but that is what I would expect from you. However, I will not be your tutor; I will give you this one lesson today and then I will hand you over to Semyon for instruction."

"Why Semyon?"

"He'll be more suitable than myself."

"I can charge things like batteries."

"So, you have learnt something unique there; it is what we call particle telekinesis where you can move small atoms with your mind. You have learnt to use magic with the energy that the electrons have; but you have not even scratched the surface yet! Any untrained Magician can turn a light on and off, but it is unusual that you have learnt to use electrons to your advantage. No Magician has been able to do that, not even Semyon here. Your potential is quite interesting."

"Nice one Anna!" Semyon smiled.

"I'm a Magician?" Anna asked, a little stunned.

"Of course. You have not been aware of this?"

"Never. I've only been told that I'm an Other."

"Well, now you know. Semyon can give your further tuition in that field."

Semyon smiled. "As one of the best below the boss here!"

"Can I do more?" Anna asked Geser.

"Of course!" he replied. "You could create an entire lightning storm at will if you concentrate all of your energy; even from within the Gloom. I imagine that is what Zavulon would love to use you for if you became one of the Day Watch. But I've been told you seem to use your powers to create light in the event of its absence. Ana Vyacheslav tells me you fear the dark."

"I always have done."

"And your strength awakened inside you by reacting to that."

"I always tried to make the lights come on in power cuts."

"You converted your fear into energy."

"That's what it felt like, yes."

"Have you felt tired after using it?"

"As a matter of fact yes I have!"

Geser nodded. "That's because you immediately use all of your energy in one go because you have not yet learnt to limit your usage of it. For example, you do not need the same amount of energy to charge a battery as you do to create a lightning storm. Do you understand that?"

"That seems plane enough."

"Good! Then we can begin."

"How do we start?"

"You have already mastered the strange usage of particle telekinesis, but only making electrons move in a space they are already in. For example, giving devices power simply moves the electrons through them. You need to learn how to make them move into places they do not usually go into, or cannot go into alone. For example, take that light switch over there on the wall."

He indicated to it.

"You need to learn how to take electrons and lure them into your hand. When using that power against a Dark Other, think of yourself a little like a Police Officer using a Tazer on a criminal. You can absorb some electrons from the plug and throw them at an enemy, stunning them and making an easy arrest."

"I can do that?" Anna asked.

Semyon suppressed a smile; she was exited about all this. She really would be a pleasure to teach.

"You seem surprised Anna," Geser queried.

"It's an awful lot of power."

"This is why you need to be careful. You could pull out anywhere between 1 to 250 volts of electricity and then throw those electrons at someone. That is the potentially the difference between a faint tingle and death."

"Can I control that?"

Geser nodded. "That is what I am going to teach you."

"How long will it take to master it?"

"As long as you take to master it. I am teaching you this simply because Semyon does not know how to use it, therefore I have to help you learn yourself. I will give you this one lesson today and then you'll gradually work things out for yourself as Semyon teaches you the other vital steps to become a powerful Light Magician. Do you understand that?"

"Of course sir."

"Semyon will instruct you to use the Gloom also."

Anna glanced over to Semyon, who nodded.

"It's not too hard," Semyon stated. "Seeing as you seem to learn quite quickly, you had no trouble coming out when I told you to. As soon as you can do it properly, you can go in for as long as you want, but it is very draining on your energy. The hardest part is something you may have to learn, and that's summoning the Gloom from within the Gloom. Only really powerful Others can sustain that for a long period of time without having to come out. Summoning a Third Level of the Gloom is even nastier; I've only gone that deep once and I never will do again."

"What can happen without proper training?" Anna asked, curiously.

"The Gloom can take you. It's said to be a fate worse than death."

"Have you been in before last night?" Geser questioned.

"I'm not really sure," Anna replied.

"Think back to a time when you found it incredibly dark; different but familiar like everything was normal, but not. A place where time travelled more slowly; the realm of shadows is also what it is known as."

"Yes, I've had that once! There was a winter thunderstorm before I came to Moscow; about two weeks ago. There was a power cut with it and I remembered how horrible it felt. I tried to make the lights come on, and then I suddenly found everything went really dark. Everything was different and I remember hearing mosquitoes all around me. Then, just as I felt myself drifting into unconsciousness into the darkness, my sister cut herself and her drops of blood seemed to bring me out."

"She distracted the Gloom," Semyon stated.

"But she's not an Other."

"Her screams of pain most likely woke you up," Geser added. "That was enough to give you some energy to distract the Gloom; so really it was you all along that allowed yourself to pull free."

"But last night, Semyon just touched me and I came out."

"But it wasn't taking you then and Semyon is incredibly powerful."

"What if I had stayed in longer?"

"If you went into a Gloom coma, Semyon would have needed to give it blood."

"Or someone else," Semyon added quickly.

Geser smiled. "Or someone else."

He turned back to Anna.

"Shall we begin?" he asked.

"When ever you're ready Boris Ignatovich," Anna replied.

"Good, so we'll start with what we were talking about before; moving electrons from a plug into your hand and throwing them away. Of course, this is the first case of this I have actually seen; not to scare you, but an Uninitiated Dark Other had this once and he killed himself."

"Great."

"You need to show me how you do it so I can guide you."

Geser got to his feet and unplugged his desk lamp, moving around the other side of the long table and setting it down in front of Anna. He returning to his seat and regarded her as she looked puzzled.

"Turn that lamp on," he instructed.

"Full power?" Anna queried.

"Yes; show me how you do it."

Anna took a deep breath and stared at the lamp, trailing her eyes from the bulb to the base and the plug. She reached out and took hold of the plug, holding both of the two round pins between her forefinger and thumb.

"Why do you need contact?" Geser asked.

"To give the electrons energy," Anna replied.

"You don't need to; let go of the plug."

Anna followed his instructions and let go of the pins.

"You need to see, not touch," Geser continued. "Where are the dead electrons?"

"They want to go to the bulb from the plug," Anna replied.

"Then concentrate on the bulb, you can ignore the rest of the lamp. Now, just focus the energy from your mind with your eyes instead of your hands. You may find less energy is wasted in heat using this method. I remember many trainees before you; Semyon took a surprisingly long time to keep his hands off things!"

Semyon blushed.

"You taught Semyon?" Anna queried.

"One of my most gifted students," Geser smiled. "Off you go."

Anna looked back to the lamp. "Eyes instead of hands?"

"It'll do exactly the same thing."

"But how?"

"Just imagine the path they take in your head."

Anna stared at the lamp, trying to block out the slightly irritating presence of the boss and Semyon watching her. She concentrated on the electrons and as she began to will them to move, she felt the energy build it. The light flickered a little and died before it eventually came on, lighting up that small proportion of the room.

"I can do it that way!" she proclaimed.

"You see, it's no different," Geser replied.

Anna cut her concentration off and the lamp flickered and died.

"Do you feel less heat now?" asked Geser.

"Yes, a lot less," Anna replied.

"That means you'll not get so tired. Through contact, you were easily giving away far too much energy and that made you tired. But now, simply through concentration, you are only giving away enough to move the electrons. It will make all the difference, especially when you go into the Gloom."

"What about the light switch?"

"We'll get to that. This will be a bit more difficult."

"Is it not dangerous?"

"You seem to be confident enough with the safety."

"So I could touch a pylon and not die?"

"Touch a pylon, and you will defensively steel all of the electrons."

"And then you'll have to give them back!" Semyon laughed. "Just think, you could go to a power station, absorb all the electrons from the pylons and then hold them to ransom. You could be rich, but we'd better not let that happen. That would be most inappropriate for a Night Watch agent."

"Indeed," Geser said, sternly.

"That's what the Day Watch would have you do."

Geser nodded and turned back to Anna.

"You will learn only to use your powers for others."

"Yes sir," Anna replied affirmatively.

"For now, we'll only concentrate on the technique of getting the electrons from the plug to your hand. Naturally, you will absorb a full supply of 250 volts, so we'll leave practicing your aim. Controlling the amount of voltage will become natural to you when Semyon teaches you about energy control. Then your aim will be perfected when he teaches you certain abilities."

"What do I use for a target?"

"Hmm, I'll leave that for Semyon to decide."

"I tend to manufacture my own targets," Semyon explained.

"Like what?"

"You can't muscle out of this one Semyon," Geser cut in with a smirk. "Our dear friend here has a funny thing about using himself as a target. Most Magicians, like myself, shield ourselves and get our students to use us as targets. Semyon never liked that idea, so he conjured up his own targets. However, you need a live target to practice stunning techniques on and I'm sure Semyon would volunteer to help you, wont you?"

"It'll be an honour," Semyon replied, flatly.

"Don't worry, only a few volts."

"Could I wear rubber boots or something?"

"It'll only be a tingle at the level."

"Just don't throw 250 volts at me!"

"I'd never dream of it Semyon," Anna told him, kindly.

She reached back and ruffled his hair reassuringly. "Don't worry."

"Not at all," Semyon smiled.

"Settled then," Geser stated. "I've worked out exactly how you do this now; I shall practice it myself sometime! I'll show you how to absorb electrons and then give them back. Afterwards, I think you need to visit your father and let him know how you're getting on. And then Semyon, you may teach her how to drive."

"Now that I'm looking forwards to!"

"Take your time over this Anna."

"I'll prepare for the worst," she replied.

"Don't get too frustrated if it doesn't work; I'll be quite amazed if you do manage to do it for the first time. All I need you to do is to take a good long look at that light switch on the wall and imagine the electrons flowing through the wires. Then you can use your energy to try and lure them to your hand. It'll just take you a while to give them just enough energy to jump through the air."

"What about voltage?"

"Don't worry about that just yet."

Anna took a deep breath and turned to regard the light switch on the wall. She looked inside, trying to see through into the thick cables and at the flow of electrons through them. There were millions of them, all of them waiting to be given her energy. She concentrated on a few of them, trying to give them energy like she had done with the lamp. She could feel that there was only a small amount she needed to give them to set them free. But the current was more attractive to them, and they didn't want to budge or go anywhere they couldn't.

She concentrated on the power of the current, feeling the energy it had and realising that it was a little more to allow the electrons to remain in the wires. Anna fought harder, gradually increasing her thought power to transfer an energy amount similar to that of the current. The electrons noticed it, but were too lazy to move. With an extra push, Anna caught them and pulled them away from the current. As she did, a shower of sparks radiated out from the plug and scattered across the floor.

"Not bad," Geser noted with a small smile.

"I gave them enough to leave!" Anna proclaimed, happily.

"You fought well against that current for a beginner."

"Can I try it again?"

"Of course."

"Are you sure?" asked Semyon, concerned.

"Let's see; it wont hurt her."

Semyon stilled looked concerned, but Anna turned to regard him and nodded her head reassuringly. She turned back to the light switch on the wall, her eyes now expressing a challenge to the current. She wanted its electrons, but it wasn't going to release them without a fight. She deepened her concentration, finding herself looking into the Gloom; teasing the electrons out of the wires would not be enough this time. She needed to show them through the Gloom that she had a want to possess them. As in power cuts, she desperately wanted the lights to ease her fear of the dark and that fuelled her energy into the electrons. Now she wanted the power of electricity at her fingertips, and that desire would fuel her energy.

The electrons were set free more easily this time and they showered to the floor as sparks again. Anna fought against the resistance of the air, summoning the power of the Gloom to help her move them. Eventually, a small bolt of light shot out from the light switch and into her hand. Almost nervously, Anna released the Gloom and looked at her hand, seeing the glowing electrons flowing through her fingertips. She glanced up, seeing the smiles on the faces of Geser and Semyon.

"You used the Gloom to do it!" Semyon proclaimed.

"I felt I needed it to give them more of an impulse," Anna replied.

"Remarkable for an untrained Magician to use it so naturally."

"I can feel them in my hand."

"That's 250 volts of electricity," Geser stated.

"What do I do with it?"

"Give it back."

Geser nodded to Semyon, who reached under the long table and took out an extension plug lead. He plugged it into the mains and switched it on, setting the four socket extension plug on the table. Geser indicated to it, Anna looking from it back to her glowing hand. She gradually released her energy, using the release to guide the electrons back into the mains. They all travelled away through her fingertips and back into the plug sockets, filtering back into the wires behind the walls.

"I think that'll do from me," Geser concluded.

"I had control over them!" Anna proclaimed.

"They will follow any direction you give them."

"It's almost like creating invisible wires."

"You can think of it like that, yes."

Geser nodded and got to his feet, pulling the extension plug out of the mains and wrapping the cord about it. He stored it away under the long table, pushing his chair back under the desk.

"I'm sure Vsevolod will like to hear from you," he stated.

"I'll drive her down," Semyon replied.

He got to his feet and pushed his chair back, offering Anna his hand. She accepted, taking it and allowing him to gently pull her to her feet.

"Semyon will carry on with your tuition," Geser explained.

"What will I learn from him?" Anna queried.

"All of the basic things a Magician should learn."

"Like driving," Semyon added with a smile.

"Enjoy yourselves."

Anna and Semyon left the office and travelled downstairs, she still staring at her hand in amazement. There was no tingling sensation left from the electrons; it was almost as if they had never been there. It was still all she could think about as Semyon lead them over to the yellow van and they climbed inside.

"That's really impressive," Semyon proclaimed.

"I never knew I could do that," Anna replied.

"I guess it would come in useful."

"I can keep the fridge running through a power cut!"

"That'll save your milk, I imagine."

They laughed and strapped themselves in, Semyon starting the engine and driving off away from the Gorsvet HQ. Anna had a sudden thought to contact Maxim and tell him everything that had happened in Moscow. Even though Vyacheslav probably would, it would be better if she told him herself. That thought passed the time quickly enough until Semyon parked the yellow truck outside the pub where Vsevolod worked. They climbed out, both of then laying eyes on Anna's father, but he was not sat at the table alone.

"Oh no," Semyon groaned.

"I've seen that man in the metro!" Anna noted.

"That's Zavulon, General of the Darkness."

"Hmm, that sounds bad."

He nodded. "Very bad."

The two of them entered the pub and crossed the room to where Vsevolod was sat with Zavulon. Both of them turned to regard the new arrivals, Vsevolod smiling at his daughter with surprise.

"Anna!" he exclaimed. "Glad you came."

"Boris Ignatovich said I should," Anna replied.

Vsevolod regarded her Gorsvet jacket.

"You became an electrician then," he observed.

"I guess it felt right for me," Anna replied.

"So it is true," Zavulon cut in.

He turned to regard Anna.

"The Light who came from Dark," he stated. "Geser didn't make that up."

Instinctively, Semyon put an arm about Anna's shoulders.

"Geser never makes things up," he growled.

"I'm tired of you Semyon Pavlovich," Zavulon replied. "Have you not taken the hint that nobody listens to you any more? You're just a Magician who's been on this Earth too long you're becoming an irritation."

"No one insults Semyon in front of me," Anna said, defiantly.

"Yes, Alisa told me you had a thing for the van driver."

"He's one of the nicest men I know."

"Playing the charmer Semyon, how touching."

"Why don't you leave, Zavulon?" Vsevolod asked.

Zavulon glared at Vsevolod. "You're telling me to leave?"

"Yes, my contract says I am not to be disturbed unwontedly by either side. You can stay away from my daughter too, you and that Witch Alisa. She chose the side of Light and she'll be another great Light Magician. You lost, Zavulon. You only sent Alisa to field her whereas Semyon had already succeeded in charming her. You should have been quicker."

"There's more to me than meets the eyes, Vsevolod."

Zavulon got to his feet and vanished into the Gloom, leaving the pub through the parallel door. Semyon and Anna sat down opposite Vsevolod, taking the offer of drinks when it came.

"Is that your first meeting with Zavulon?" Vsevolod asked.

"I saw him briefly in the metro," Anna replied.

"He wanted you to turn Evil."

"Then he should have stopped Semyon flirting."

Semyon laughed. "I'd liked to have seen him try."

"You like my daughter do you?"

Semyon blushed, Anna not failing to notice his sheepishness.

"He's a good man," he stated. "You deserve him."

Anna smiled. "Even the boss said that."

"Well, the odds are on you two then!"

He laughed and clapped Semyon on the arm. "Good luck."

Semyon reddened again. "I'm teaching Anna to drive."

"Well, top level Magicians are the best instructors."

One of the barmen arrived with the drinks, Anna noticing how good looking he was. But she smiled; the first thing that came into mind was how little she could compare him to Semyon. She'd have to face it sooner or later; Semyon was exactly the type of Russian man she looking for.

"When are we going driving then?" Anna asked.

"As soon as we've finished the drinks I'd say," Semyon replied. "Seeing as you are so eager to learn my professional driving skills. If anyone says I'm a dangerous driver, just tell them at my level, I can drive with closed eyes!"

"You're still in one piece I guess."

"Exactly!"

Vsevolod shrugged. "Driving is a useful skill."

"That's why I'd like to learn," Anna replied.

"You just want your own truck, don't you?"

"Those Gorsvet vans are pretty cool."

"But I'm still the number one driver," Semyon cut in.

She stroked his arm. "Of course you are."

They finished off their drinks and left Vsevolod in the pub to get back to his shift. Semyon climbed back into the driver's seat and drove them out of the centre of Moscow. Anna watched as the tall flat blocks flashed passed the window outside, noticing how they seemed to increase in quality the further they drove out. This was the first time she'd really seen the suburbs of Moscow. There were plenty of young children out in the streets playing in the snow. Anna glanced at Semyon briefly. She felt she could be quite happy living in Moscow with him, even if they hadn't really decided what would happen to their relationship. But would it be wise to give up her engineering course at home in England and stay in Moscow? She imagined that would soon be made clear.

Eventually, Semyon turned off the main road and drove carefully along a gravel track. They ended up coming into a vast concrete clearing that had a small building and a tower by it. It looked like a hub and landing strip of an abandoned airfield.

"This will do," Semyon stated.

"Is this used any more?" Anna asked.

"I don't think so."

"We'll find out if an aeroplane tries to land."

"I've come here before and it's been empty."

"Do you teach all people how to drive?"

"Oh no! There were some illegal Dark Others setting up camp here and luring tourists off the motorway. We had to come all the way out here to catch them. There were no planes then, so hopefully there'll be no planes now."

"When was that?"

"Oh, the week before you came."

"Not that long ago then."

"We were still looking out for your flight then."

"You knew my flight number?"

"Yeah; Anton saw it in a vision of his."

"What about you?"

"I only use the gift of the Seer occasionally. I've seen enough now to know that if I get a vision now, it's only when something bad will happen. Anton has them all over the place, but he's only been with us 8 years now. But Geser's getting nervous, as if something's going to happen. I recon it's to do with the Great Other. Everything depends on his choice and we're all a little worried that he'll choose the side of Darkness. If he does, we'll all disappear and everything dies."

"So everything you do is all for nothing?"

"Hmm, it'd hard to think that."

"Can you help him make the right choice?"

"Technically we cannot do that."

"You almost influenced my choice."

"Sort of, but you'd already decided long before we met. You fear the dark and you feed off the light to help control that fear. As soon as you first began to realise your potential, you had subconsciously chosen the side of Light when you first entered the Gloom. I'm just a bonus."

He winked at her and smiled.

"A bonus," Anna repeated.

"Why not?"

He laughed. "Driving then!"

"Whenever you're ready."

"The most important think to use when you're driving is the seatbelt. If you don't use it, then you risk crashing through the windscreen on a sharp corner when you're in a hurry to save Anton or something."

"I probably wont use to much as you," Anna commented.

"Don't push it, I am teaching you!"

"I'm only teasing Semyon."

"Glad to hear it. Alright then, you'll probably know the pedals; that little one's clutch and those two are acceleration and break. That's your gear stick, that's your handbrake and that little tab is the indicator. But at the best of times, you'll forget to use it so I wouldn't worry. Shall we swap seats then?"

"Not just yet!"

"Why not?"

"I have no idea how to control it."

"I can't really tell you how; you just do."

"Can I watch you do it first?"

"You've seen my drive."

"No, I mean to concentrate on you properly and watch exactly what you do. I think I gradually began to pick up Russian from listening to my music and Maxim speaking on the phone. Maybe I'll pick up driving skills from watching you again, this time more closely than before."

"Well, if you think it'll help."

Semyon started up the truck again, Anna observing closely what he did with the gear stick. She studied him closely as he completed a few laps of the airfield and runway. Her concentration was mainly on his smooth control at the wheel, the slight changes in footwork on the pedals, his concentration in the mirrors and his gear changes. How hard should it be? All she really needed to do was memorise Semyon's actions and hopefully be able to use them as well as him.

"Are you ready yet?" he asked.

"I think so," Anna replied.

"Now you try."

Semyon drove it to a halt and put on the handbrake, unfastening his seatbelt. They changed places, Semyon helping her over with a small push and watching as she put on the seatbelt and take hold of the wheel. Now she needed to see if watching Semyon had taught her anything. Semyon reached over to the steering wheel and rested his hand over hers.

"Stay calm," he noted. "You're nervous."

"I've never done this before," Anna replied.

"Of course. I remember my first lesson, and that was when I was already a top level Magician! I was terrified to death. Possibly not so much as my instructor was, but be satisfied I feel fine."

He glanced at her briefly.

"I'll take over control if you loose it," he added.

"Alright then," she sighed. "I'll give it a go."

Semyon gently took her hand off the steering wheel and rested it on the handbrake lever, letting it go. Exhaling deeply and trying to relax, Anna released the handbrake and slowly put her foot down on the accelerator pedal. As she continued to driver around the airfield, she kept imagining how Semyon would control the vehicle. And as she thought about that, her own actions seemed to imitate that of Semyon's She must have been doing something right, because the expression on his face looked impressed.

"You're a natural driver!" he proclaimed. "Just like I became!"

"I just think of how you do it," Anna replied with a smile.

"Watch me that closely do you?"

"Oh yes Semyon, exceptionally closely."

"Want a bit of speed?"

"Why not!"

"Do a lap up the runway."

Anna turned away from the exit gate and headed out towards the landing strip. She put her foot down on the accelerator, hearing the wheels screech under the sudden burst of speed. An exhilarating feeling came across her as she opened the window and felt the ice cold wind blow on her face. She had so much energy in the excitement of realising she could driver; she had control over a vehicle and it felt so good.

That energy remained with her as she reached the end of the runway and turned back to face the hub and control tower. She could fell the heat in her hands travelling into the steering wheel. Without knowing it, she began to feel the electrons converting her energy in electricity. She felt them attracted to her energy and she saw the combustion process within the engine.

"It's getting hot," Semyon noted, perplexed.

"You can feel that?" Anna queried.

"Something's combusting!"

"Oh crap!"

As soon as Anna realised she was giving energy to the electrons and igniting the petrol, the engine sent as surge of flames out of the exhaust pipes. But it was now too late to control it. With an extra burst of power, the yellow van hurtled passed the airport hub and crashed through the hedge, leaping across the gravel track and into a nearby field. Anna released the wheel and slammed her foot on the brake pedal before the van buried the front into a snow drift.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Semyon asked, shocked.

Anna glanced at him apologetically. "Sorry."

"You did that?"

"I'm sorry. I got to excited about the thrill of going so fast down that runway. That excitement began to turn into energy and I subconsciously gave that energy to the electrons in the van. They went into the fuel chamber and ignited the petrol. I didn't mean for it to happen, it just… well… did."

"Can you control that?"

"Oh yes, it just overwhelmed me. All that excitement."

"I hate to think what you could do to me then!"

Anna quickly understood him and slapped him hard across the arm.

"What?" he protested.

"That's disgusting Semyon," Anna replied.

He smirked. "Sorry."

He glanced at his watch.

"We'd better get back to Gorsvet," he explained. "It's coming up to 6:00 and we need to get over to the Cosmos hotel to have dinner with your lot at 6:30. Can't keep them waiting and I'm getting rather hungry."

"6:00 already?" queried Anna.

"Time flies when you're having fun."

"Can I drive us back?"

"I guess so, just don't get to excited this time."

"I wont now that I know what can happen!"

"Other than that, very good for the first time."

He smiled at her, she returning it and releasing the handbrake. She turned out and away from the small snow drift the van had made friends with and joined the gravel track. From there, she turned back onto the main road and headed back into the centre of Moscow.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Her comrades at Gorsvet were all surprised when she turned up driving Semyon's truck. Semyon had to move over into the middle, allowing Anton to join them up front. Bear, Tiger Cub and Vyacheslav crammed into the back of the truck as Anna drove them over to the hotel Cosmos. It was just a bit before 6:30 when they arrived and Anna parked the van outside. The six of them climbed out and entered the hotel, seeing that Sarah and Kate had already sat down.

"Ready Vyacheslav?" asked Anton.

"Oh yes," Vyacheslav replied. "I'm all prepared to translate between English and Russian. No other Russians except us will be able to understand English, and no other Brits will be able to understand Russian."

"You can do that?" Anna queried.

"I can choose which brainwave patterns to fiddle with."

"Can you actually learn English?"

"Yes, but unfortunately not physically speak it."

"You see Vyacheslav has this little issue, which also corresponded with how he realised he was an Other," Semyon explained. "His psychic energy is so powerful that he often struggles to do things that do not involve it. Like learning languages. He can think in a foreign language, but unfortunately not speak it."

Vyacheslav shrugged. "Hence my telepathic translation."

"Weird," Anna commented.

"Maybe, but normal for me."

The six of them crossed the room and joined Kate and Sarah, who had appeared to take the liberty of dressing smartly for dinner. Anna and her comrades were merely dressed in their Gorsvet jackets and combats, but none of them seemed to be bothered by that in the slightest.

"Hello again!" Semyon greeted cheerfully.

Sarah glanced at him. "Hello."

She then turned to glance in Vyacheslav's direction, he nodding shortly before sitting down at the end of the table. She didn't say anything, but instead simply watched as the rest of the Night Watch officers took their seats. Vyacheslav couldn't help but smirk; Sarah was under the impression that he was using top secret technology, but even some people would have been fooled into saying something about it. Glancing at Semyon, he realised that the Magician possibly had a part to play in that; humans were so easy to manipulate sometimes. It wasn't actually against the rules this time, seeing as it was protecting them from something they didn't understand.

"Did you enjoy your driving lesson?" Sarah asked her daughter.

"Oh yeah, it was a lot of fun!" Anna replied, grinning.

"So then, are you actually together, or…?"

She trailed off, Anna and Semyon glanced at each other.

"We're friends," Semyon said simply.

Anton cleared his throat loudly, Semyon grabbing a bread roll from the basket and throwing it at him. Anton fielded it easily and took a bite out of it, smirking at his friend. Anna glanced at Kate, who was immediately unimpressed by this first impression of the Russian electricians. However, her younger sister was now deciding against commenting after Vyacheslav's warning. Anna imagined that he looked too much like his brother, and Anna knew Kate was wary of Maxim.

"Yeah right Semyon," Bear added.

"Shut it," Semyon replied.

Anna glanced up at Tiger Cub who smirked, Anna unable to stop herself from returning it. Semyon had gone red and everyone took that as a further opportunity to laugh at him. Eventually, Anna reached over and stroked his arm.

"Leave him alone," she noted, affectionately.

Semyon blushed deeper at the contact, Anton unable to stop laughing.

"Oh dear Semyon," he shook his head, smiling.

"Do you want some more bread Anton?" Semyon questioned.

"I wouldn't mind, no."

They all laughed again, but the waiter then came over this time to break up their conversation. They all took their orders, most taking different flavours of soup with rice for starters. Typically, Kate had a vegetarian salad and Vyacheslav, deciding to be different, took a cold meat salad. During the wait, Kate decided to try and get to know the only other female member of the group.

"Are you an electrician too?" she asked Tiger Cub.

Tiger Cub glanced briefly at Bear before looking at Kate.

"Yeah," she noted.

"Did you always want to be?"

She nodded her head. "Hmm."

"I was never aware many women wanted to do that kind of work."

Bear smirked and patted Tiger Cub on the back.

"Perhaps you should blame me," he added.

Kate glanced at him uncertainly, Anna giving her sister a warning stare that plainly said 'say anything bad about Bear and you'll get a first in your overly made up face'. The stare must have been firm enough, because Kate didn't say anything to Bear and turned back to Tiger Cub.

"Do you like being an electrician?" Kate continued.

"Of course," Tiger Cub replied, a little irritated.

"Do you bother much with fashion?"

Tiger Cub's expression was now rather confused.

"No, not really. What's the point?"

Kate shrugged "It looks good."

"Tiger Cub always looks good!" Bear commented.

"Why do they call you that?"

She paused. "It's a nickname."

"So what's your real name?"

"Lena."

"Oh. Ana never bothered much with fashion either…"

"Sorry Tiger Cub," Anna cut across her sister. "My younger sister here is far too fashion conscious and always has weird views about jobs. Construction work is a man's job, HGV driving is a man's job, electrical engineering is a man's job. Trust me, it drive's you crazy!"

"I'll bet."

Kate blushed a little.

"No such thing as a man's job," Tiger Cub grumbled.

"I can think of some," Bear replied.

Tiger Cub turned to glance at her partner, observing the look of humour on his heavily unshaven face. She eventually understood what he meant and slapped him on the arm. That immediately came to Semyon's attention, he also understand and laughing with his friend.

"Really?" he queried.

"Oh yes," Bear replied.

"I'll ask Anna for employment then."

Anna then took her turn in punching Semyon on the arm. Vyacheslav laughed and shook his head; he could tell that two of the team would end up with bruised arms by the end of the evening, and he wouldn't need Anton's visions to work out who. Eventually, their starters turned up and they all instantly started to eat. Kate was left behind as she ate slowly, and even Sarah was lacking a bit in speed compared to the Russians. Anna however followed in the lead of her comrades, more or less shovelling spoon fulls of soup down her throat at a time. The Russians did soup well, and spicy tomato with rice was certainly on her list of top favourites.

"You all eat so fast," Sarah commented.

"The faster you eat, the more food you get inside you, so the less hungry you end up feeling," Semyon replied. "And in Anton's case, the longer it takes for large quantities of alcohol to affect you."

"Watch it Semyon," Anton growled.

"You drink a lot… err… Anton is it?" Sarah asked.

He nodded. "Anton Gorodetski."

"Vodka?"

"Hmm, of course. I've got it on record as well; I've been cautioned a few times for being drunk and disorderly, even though it is sometimes an unfair conviction. It's not just alcohol that gets me drunk you see, or in a state of looking as though I'm drunk. My record states quite plainly; known for alcohol abuse."

"Why do you drink so much?"

"Hmm, stress, confusion…"

He trailed off and shrugged. "Work."

"Why so glum Anton?" asked Anna.

Anton sighed. "Just an unfortunate issue I had. I got married a long while ago and about eight years ago, she left me for another man. I've been alone since then, and that's when I because an electrician. You'll understand, I cannot really talk about the details at this minute."

Anna nodded, understanding.

"Well, she doesn't deserve you Anton," she noted.

"Hmm, perhaps not," Anton replied with a small smile.

"If she was unfaithful, then she doesn't deserve you."

"If only all women thought like that, Anna. Thank you."

Anna smiled. "I'd only be devoted to one man alone."

She was unable to glance briefly at Semyon, who smiled at her and almost forced her to return it. They all returned to their starters, Anna noticing that Anton seemed to have picked up a bit. They finished off their food, now waiting for Kate to eat her small salad. No one could see how that was appetising, but seeing as Vyacheslav was currently tuning his brain to act as a two way translator, they decided not to comment. Eventually, Kate finished and the waiter came and took away their empty plates. They fetched the menus, having to wait a little while until the vegetarian menu was given to Kate. Anna had only just realised how much this actually irritated her.

"How can you not eat any meat?" Semyon asked.

"It's wrong," Kate replied, sternly.

"Why? It's never bothered me."

"Do you not a look at a piece of meat and think that it was once a living creature? Do you not look at a strip of bacon and think that was a pig once? Do you not think of a fluffy little lamb when they give you lamb?"

Semyon raised an eyebrow. "Not really, no. Sorry."

"How can you not?"

He shrugged. "I don't like lamb anyway."

"But you eat bacon."

"Yeah, it tastes good!"

"And you don't think it's cruel?"

Semyon glanced up at Bear, who rolled his eyes skyward.

"Listen to this then," Semyon began with a sigh. "I think it's cruel to deny my stomach the luxury of digesting a crispy bacon sandwich smothered in brown sauce. Face it, I think only of my stomach when I eat. Think of it like this; these animals are bred and genetically modified to be used as food for us. That is their life. If they do not end up on our plates, then they haven't lived."

Kate looked horrified, but Bear laughed.

"How did you work that out?" he asked.

"Logic from a hungry Russian," Semyon replied.

"You say they live to die?" Kate asked.

"Yeah, pretty much."

"That's awful!"

"It's part of the food chain; we eat everything!"

"Yeah," Anton added. "Except Semyon has an extra large food chain."

Semyon threw another bread roll at Anton, who unfortunately decided to duck this time. There was someone sitting at the table behind him, and the roll hit that man on the back of his head. The man, who turned out to be a rather fat, bald Italian businessman, looked around the glare at Anton. Anna couldn't help but spot the young Italian man she saw in the hotel lift sitting at the table with his colleagues.

"What on Earth?" the Italian growled.

"Sorry," Anton grumbled.

"Russians! Typical!"

Shaking his head and sighing, the fat Italian boss turned away from Anton to continue his conversations to the other businessmen. Semyon laughed, Anton turning an expression on his friend which clearly had 'you bastard' written all over it. Anna smirked, reaching back and ruffling Semyon's hair. Eventually, Vyacheslav turned to Sarah who was ready to discuss Anna's future.

"To the point," he began.

"You said about Anna," Sarah replied.

"Yes. You know she now works for Gorsvet."

"For who?"

"The City Light Company."

"Electrician right?"

"Yes."

"I have been told."

"You also know that her job is here in Moscow."

"That's what Anna told me, yes."

"Yet she lives in England with you."

"Of course, and she's doing a course in engineering."

"Right. You must understand that the job she had with us at Gorsvet will take up all of her time. Our contract is exceedingly strict, as is our boss. I'm afraid, the option we would want if for your daughter to continue working with us, however it is her decision and not yours. She may choose to stay here or she may decide to go back home. Either way, you need to respect her choice."

"Anna could stay here?"

"We'd prefer that, yes."

"But where would she stay?"

"That'll all have to be figured out at some time. She cannot stay with her father; given his personal circumstances, it would be too dangerous. Police business; he's actually under out protection. Why, well that's confidential."

"I understand."

"I'll put her up," Semyon cut in.

Sarah glanced at him uncertainly.

"Until she finds her own flat," he added quickly.

"That will be a suitable arrangement," Vyacheslav replied.

"I guess that would be alright," Sarah noted, thinking about it.

Vyacheslav turned to Anna. "What do you think?"

"I don't know," she replied. "Can I think about it?"

"Of course! When's the return flight?"

"2nd January."

"Then you'll have until then."

"What about our seat bookings?" Sarah asked.

"If Anna stays, then I'll sort something out."

Anna guessed that it would have something to do with putting thoughts into the heads of the airport staff, making them think the tickets were just for two people. She then had a sudden thought that if a person could get fat by eating salad, then Kate would be able to fill up two plane seats. That put a rather amusing, but sickening image of her sister in her head; overweight with one of her silly miniskirts, having to lean back against the folded up arm rest. However, the waiter came and gave them their food before she could say anything.

"What would happen with the second plane seat?" Sarah asked.

Vyacheslav waited until the waiters left, just in case their thoughts got caught up in his radius.

"I'll think of something," he noted.

He glanced at Anna and smirked, she suddenly understanding. Vyacheslav could read people's thoughts as well as alter them, and he'd heard what she had thought about her sister. She grimaced; she hoped he couldn't pick up on mental images as well.

"I guess if salad was fattening," she began. "Kate would be able to fit across two plane seats. She'd be able to stick one side of her arse in my seat!"

The Night Watch officers laughed.

"Marvellous idea!" Semyon commented.

Kate blushed, not replying to her sister's comment.

"Don't be harsh Anna," Sarah told her.

"Sorry," Anna replied.

"She's fitting in with us so quickly," Bear added, smiling.

"I have noticed that," Sarah stated.

"They are really nice people mother," Anna replied.

Sarah paused. "Especially Semyon?"

Anna glanced at her friend and smiled.

"Most definitely Semyon."

"Well, so long as you're happy."

They then sat and ate the rest of their meals quietly, Anna joining in with the conversations as soon as they finished eating. Sarah and Kate, who were still slowly finishing their food, were a little bit left out. But Anna could see why Vyacheslav had wanted to set this up. The Night Watch wanted her to stay in Moscow and work in the field with them, and Sarah was the only thing that really stood in the way of that. Vyacheslav wanted Anna's family to see that she would get on with her comrades and be safe in a new Moscow life.

"Are you staying here tonight?" asked Semyon.

"Yes Semyon," Anna replied, smirking at him.

"Then I'll have a lumpy sofa free night."

"Don't make me feel guilty Semyon."

He winked at her. "Certainly not!"

The Night Watch officers sorted out all the money and handed it to Vyacheslav, who paid the waiter. Eventually, Sarah and Kate had finished their meals, adding theirs' and Anna's food to the room bill. They all got to their feet and put their chairs under the table, leaving for the hallway.

"Good evening then," Vyacheslav said.

"How do you say that in Russian?" Sarah asked.

"Добры вечер." (Dobri Vyecher)

"Hmm, I think I'll leave that to you."

Vyacheslav smiled. "Certainly."

Sarah and Kate headed over to the lift, Anna remaining behind briefly and sharing an embrace with Semyon. Eventually, Anton pulled him away by the back of his jacket, allowing Anna to get into the lift. She laughed, waving at Semyon as his pleasant face disappeared from view behind the sliding metal doors. She sighed and leaned back against the lift wall, kicking over and loose piece of plastic on the floor.

"Will you stay in Moscow?" Sarah asked.

"I don't know yet," Anna replied.

"I've never seen you get on so well with people before."

Anna smiled. "I've never met nicer people."

"I would have to agree, they do seem to be lovely people."

"It would be nice to stay and work here."

"If you do, will you come and visit?"

"When I can, of course."

"And will Semyon be coming with you?"

"Maybe, I don't know about that yet either."

The lift stopped at their floor and the three of them got off and headed down to their rooms. Kate and Anna separated from their mother into their room, neither of them really saying anything to each other. Kate had been noticeably down since she'd met the Night Watch officers. She clearly wasn't used to being criticised so much, and she also found it strange to see Anna so popular.

"Good night," Anna told her.

"Yeah," Kate replied.

She changed quickly and got into bed, switching off the bedside lamp. Anna sighed and shook her head, changing into her winter pyjamas and sitting down on her bed. Everything was so different now; looking around, she could peer into the Gloom and see all the electrons flowing around in the wires, giving her the light she needed. Getting into bed, Anna switched off the light and settled down to sleep.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Anna woke up at a normal time the next day. She got out of bed and looked out of the window and, to her amazement, everywhere was hidden beneath a thick layer of snow. There must have been an extreme amount of snowfall overnight to accumulate this amount. This would be the perfect opportunity for a snowball fight. Anna glanced uncertainly at her sleeping sister; there was no way she would have a snowball fight. Perhaps she would head over to Gorsvet later and find her comrades.

"What are you looking at?" Kate asked.

"Overnight snow accumulation," Anna replied.

Sighing, Kate got slowly out of bed and walked over to the window where Anna was standing, her eyes still half closed and her hair messy. She glanced out of the window, took one look at the snow and groaned, climbing back into bed and wrapping herself up in the covers.

"Too cold," she grumbled.

"This is mainland Europe!" Anna proclaimed.

"So. England never gets this cold."

"England has a different climate; don't you learn anything in geography?"

"I prefer the English climate."

"But snow is the best kind of weather!"

"Hot and sunny all year round; heaven."

"Bollocks. Cold and snowy all year round, more like."

Anna quickly dressed into a warm, roll neck jumper and her combats over a pair of thermal trousers. She slung on her Gorsvet jacket and pocketed her shades, leaving the room and her sister behind. She ran downstairs and into the breakfast room, looking around to see if other people were reacting in this way to the snowfall. Surprisingly, she found Semyon sat at a table on his own reading the Moscow Times. Grinning broadly, she ran over to him and put her arms about him in a rough embrace, he dropping the newspaper in shock.

"Morning!" she told him, still smiling.

"So I've noticed," Semyon replied.

"I didn't expect to see you."

"I thought you'd fancy a snowball fight at Gorsvet today."

"You know me too well, I'd love to!"

Semyon smiled. "Good."

Anna kissed his stubbly cheek and sat down on a chair next to him.

"How cold it is outside?" she asked him.

"I was freezing my bollocks off getting here," he replied.

She blushed deeply, turning away from him as he laughed and called over the waiter. They both ordered English breakfast, Semyon taking a large and Anna taking a small. They talked and ate happily until Anton showed up, pulling up a chair and sitting down besides his comrades.

"How did I guess you'd be here," he noted, cheerfully.

Semyon gave the Seer a warning stare.

"Well, morning!" Anton greeted.

"And you," Semyon spoke through a mouthful of food.

"Sorry?"

Semyon went to hit him, Anton recoiling slightly.

"We're meeting Bear and Tiger Cub at the metro," he began. "Vyacheslav's circling one of the stations and he's picked up a brainwave pattern. Typically it's Wolf, one of Zavulon's agents and he always troubles us during the day when we're trying to relax before we come on duty. We've got to go down and nail him; I'm keeping up contact with the others."

"Wolf?" Anna queried.

"He's a Dark Shape Shifter."

Semyon laughed. "I'd love to see a wolf running around the Moscow underground! I'd also like to know how he honestly thinks that we, or the humans, wouldn't notice a dirty great wild dog running around."

"He is in the Gloom, Semyon," Anton noted.

"Then it'll be easy; find the wolf and tranquillise him."

"We'll need you to haul him back to headquarters."

"We're just finishing up here."

They finished their breakfast quickly, Semyon waiting for the waiter to come over and take away the empty plates. He paid him and got to his feet, Anna and Anton leaving with him. However, they ran into Sarah outside in the corridor, who looked between Anton, Semyon and Anna with interest.

"Off so soon?" she queried.

"We've got a fitting to fix," Anna replied.

"A fitting?"

"And a meter. Can't stay!"

They ran out of the building and over to the Gorsvet van, which had written on it 'Emergency Service – Gorsvet' in bold Russian Cyrillic. Semyon climbed into the driver's seat, Anna into the middle passenger seat and Anton next to her.

"A fitting and a meter," Anton stated, raising an eyebrow.

"She thinks we're electricians," Anna replied.

"Hmm."

"Well what do you expect me to tell her? Hi mother, we're just going off to arrest a man whose shape shifted into a wolf in the train station. Yeah, that'll go down brilliantly Antosha!"

"But it's true."

"My mother's human."

Anton paused. "Also true."

"Semyon laughed and pulled on his seatbelt, starting up the engine and firing up the truck. Anton took his mobile phone out of his pocket and phoned up Vyacheslav, waiting for his friend to reply.

"Hello Vyacheslav," Anton said.

"Is Semyon on his way?" Vyacheslav asked.

"Yes, he's driving Anna and me to the metro."

"Anna's with you?"

"Yeah."

"Good! Bear and Tiger Cub have tracked him in the Gloom and flushed him out of the metro. They're now on a train with him going to Taganskaya Station. Wolf doesn't know they're there yet. Tell Semyon to drive to the station as fast as possible and get Anna to try and shock him."

"Sure."

Anton put his phone back into his pocket.

"Where are we going?" Semyon asked.

"To Taganskaya Station," Anton replied.

"I'll put my foot down."

"In this traffic? Are you sure?"

"Anton, I've driven trucks since they were invented!"

Semyon turned up the acceleration and lit up a cigarette in the process, still grumbling as if Anton should know this perfectly well. Anton winced slightly as Semyon initiated several outrageous overtaking manoeuvres, especially the one on the big lorry before turning to Anna.

"We need you to do it," he said.

"Me?" Anna asked. "Do what?"

"Use the electrons and stun him."

"I'm not sure I know how to Anton."

"Try. If it fails, we'll use our weapons."

Anna sighed. "I'll give it the best shot."

"We'll have to go into the Gloom."

"I still need to be trained."

"I'll show you how," Semyon reassured her.

He turned a swift corner, hurling them onto the road towards Taganskaya Station as he put the cigarette back into his mouth. Soon, Anna saw the train station up ahead and heard the faint sound of trains. She sighed deeply. Now was the moment of truth; could she do it? She tried to calm her nerves and she and Anton got out of the van and joined Semyon outside in the snow. They walked towards the station, Anton picked up his phone as it rang.

"Hello Anton?" it was Bear.

"Yeah," Anton replied.

"Our train's just got in."

"Where will he be coming from?"

"The pass into the metro."

"We'll get him."

Anton put the phone down and found the metro pass.

"There it is," he observed.

Semyon turned to Anna.

"We'll have to step into the Gloom now," he stated.

"Just tell me what to do," Anna replied.

"Now remember Anna, the Gloom is a powerful reality where only the Others can exist. Anything we do here is more powerful, but it can also drain all of your energy; you'll have to make sure it can't take it all in one go. People in the station cannot see us, but they can be influenced if we get in their way; normally they'll just skirt around us. To summon the Gloom, you need to see within and step into it."

"Right."

Anna took a deep breath and took hold of Semyon's hand, turning to watch as Anton vanished into the Gloom. She stared straight ahead, following Semyon's direction and seeing into the Gloom, reaching out to it. At that, she felt a familiar darkness surround her and she was surrounded by the bustle of Taganskaya Station, but in a different reality. It was strange to watch people hurriedly jerk out of your way and see everything in an absence of light and dark. But she didn't have long to take it all in properly until Semyon put an arm around her.

"You're doing fine," he stated.

"It's so different," Anna replied.

"Shall I let you go?"

"Yes, I'll need to start charging up."

Semyon released Anna's hand and withdrew his arm, both of the moving forwards to stand alongside Anton. All three of them put on their sunglasses, watching the stairs leading down into the metro station. Anton saw the black wolf running through the metro station in the Gloom, the form of the polar bear and the tiger chasing after it, surrounded by light.

"He's coming," Anton stated.

"Alright Anna, you'll know what to do," Semyon instructed.

He gently brushed her arm. "I know you can do it."

Taking a deep breath, Anna stepped away from Semyon slightly and raised her hand to the lights above, seeing the glowing electrons running through them. She used the Gloom to seek out electrons only containing 20 volts of electricity, drawing them through the darkness and into her fingertips. It seemed easier now. The tingling sensation came to her as the electrons flowed through her fingers, glowing in the palm of her hand, waiting for her command.

"He's coming!" she heard Anton shout.

"Get ready!" Semyon added.

Looking towards the stairs, Anna saw the wolf running towards the people. But no one had noticed him; they only felt a strange presence they could not see. Wolf spotted them and growled, saliva running down from his mouth. Arching his back, he dived at them but Anna moved in front to protect Semyon and Anton. She concentrated on Wolf, raising her hand to the attacker.

"You don't know how to use it, Light Magician," Wolf sneered.

"I do," Anna replied, defiantly. "Geser showed me."

"Geser teaches you nothing!"

"He'll teach me everything."

"You can't."

She narrowed her eyes behind her sunglasses. "Try me."

Wolf snarled and lunged at her, his claws and teeth poised for attack. Anton and Semyon dived to the ground, Anna swiftly crouching down. She released the electrons at Wolf, the bolt of light shocking him around the chest. With a yelp of pain, Wolf landed on the hard ground and crashed into a wall mounted board, the glass shattering all over the floor. Semyon and Anton got back to their feet, Anna collapsing back against Semyon as he put his arms about her.

"Well done," he whispered into her ear.

She closed her eyes. "Thank you."

"Can you withstand the Gloom a bit longer?"

"I think so."

"Then we'll get him to the truck."

Anna and Semyon rushed over to Anton, who was crouched down over Wolf, who had now shifted into his human form. He was very thin with lots of long, dark messy hair, a prickly beard and badly scarred skin. He was presently unconscious and his hairs were raised from electric shock. Anton touched him, but withdrew his hand as the static crackled.

"I'd better do it," Anna noted.

Tiger Cub and Bear soon joined them, both of them no longer in animal form.

"Is he alright?" Bear asked.

"Just a little shock," Semyon replied with a smirk.

Summoning extra strength, Anna lifted Wolf up onto her back and hauled him out of the train station and back to the yellow truck. As he began to come round, they shifted out of the Gloom, Semyon and Bear pinning him securely to the side of the van, Anna taking a card out of her pocket.

"So you do have talent," Wolf snarled.

"You sound surprised," Anna replied.

"You are not yet a fully trained Magician, and Alisa said you seemed too young and careless."

"Did she now?"

"And she said you liked the van driver."

"Well then, when you fully recover from a 20 volt electric shock, you can tell Miss. Donnikova that my skill in my gift is not related to my taste in men. Indeed, my taste in men is probably better than hers."

Anna winked at Semyon.

"I'll do that then," Wolf replied.

"After you behave," Anna added.

She leaned over and took a pen out of Semyon's pocket, taking off the lid and writing his name on the form.

"What were you doing in the metro?" questioned Tiger Cub.

"Stretching my legs," Wolf replied, lazily.

"Is that on your licence?"

"I don't need a damn licence to exercise!"

"Hmm, skulking through the gloom as a wolf in the height of the Moscow commuting hour?" Anton queried. "That is a very strange activity for a licensed Dark Shape Shifter. Come on Wolf, we're officers of the Night Watch, not idiots. Tell us what you were really up to."

"Doing what your boss licensed me to do."

"So who were you spying on then?"

"None of your business."

"Funny, because we're the ones holding you captive against the side of this truck," Bear cut in, angrily. "So you explain to me why this is not our business, pig?"

"It's Zavulon's business."

"Then it is also Geser's."

"Then Geser can speak to him."

"We're the ones arresting you," Anna told him, pointedly.

"You're too young to arrest me!" Wolf sneered.

"Tell that to your prosecutor."

Anna filled in the form, but they were soon disturbed by the smart looking black car used by the Day Watch. Alisa and Piotr got out, Tiger Cub and Anton turning around to face them with unfriendly expressions on their faces.

"You have our agent," Alisa stated.

"Let us make our arrest," Anton replied.

"We'll deal with him."

"Wait, we need to do our job."

Anton turned back to Wolf.

"Who were you spying on?" he asked again.

"Get lost cops," Wolf replied.

"He's not breaking the Truce," Alisa cut in. "He didn't hurt anyone on the metro and he wasn't planning on hurting anyone. You got in his way, doing his job; Anna threatened him with high voltage electricity and he defended himself. The Day Watch gave him a job to spy of the Night Watch in order to keep the balance and you licensed him. So I think you need to drop all charges and give him back."

Anna sighed.

"He's booked and cautioned," she stated.

"And so are you," Piotr added.

Anna spun round to face him. "What?"

"A level 5 caution, minor but still appropriate."

"What the bloody hell for?"

"High voltage electricity and aggressive use of magic," Alisa explained.

"Get stuffed."

"Now let us have our agent back. He's booked, your booked; it's done."

"Wait a second," Tiger Cub protested. "He went though the Gloom on the Moscow metro system. We need to caution him for a possible attempt to try and injure people through the Gloom, something forbidden by the Truce. He's been charged with this before, even if it didn't happen this time…"

"Hush," Piotr cut in. "Let him go."

Tiger Cub looked a little put out for being hushed, but there was nothing they could do about it. Anton sighed and glanced at Anna, who put away the arrest card and shook her head. Bear and Semyon released Wolf, who pushed his way passed the Anton and over to the black sports car. Smirking, Alisa and Piotr returned to the vehicle and drove off, leaving the Night Watch officers alone with the van. Anton approached the truck and punched the metal door, Semyon taking him by the arms and pulling him back slightly.

"Come on," he grumbled.

"Bastards!" Anton swore. "Curse them!"

"Less of that. This is just typical Day Watch for you."

"Let's get back to Headquarters," Bear stated. "Geser will need to know that Zavulon's up to something again. And we'll need to ask permission to pursue this investigation and find out who Wolf is spying on."

He and Tiger Cub opened the door into the back of the van and climbed inside, Semyon climbing in at the driver's seat while Anton and Anna joined him up front. They settled themselves in, Anton reaching for his phone once Semyon set them off with the usual burst of speed.

"Gorsvet," Geser replied.

"We got Wolf sir," Anton stated.

"Good Anton! You're not injured."

Anton looked a little put out. "Thanks."

"How did it go?"

"Not as bad as it might have done; no one got hurt. We caught Wolf travelling through the Gloom on the metro into Taganskaya Station. Anna stunned him with about 20 volts of electricity, but she thinks it may have been a little more. We were about to arrest him and that was when it all went out of the window."

"What happened?"

"The Day Watch showed up; the bitch Alisa and her stupid driver Piotr. They forced us to hand him over because he wasn't breaking the Truce. All Anna could do was caution him and she was cautioned herself. It was only a level 5 offence for using aggressive magic and high voltage electricity on a Day Watch spy."

"Is she alright?"

"She's good."

"Excellent."

"We're on our way now."

"Good. Explain everything to me then."

Anton put the phone down and sat back, noticing the slight look of irritation on Anna's face.

"You are alright, eh?" he queried.

"Oh yeah," Anna replied.

Semyon smirked. "Yeah right."

"High voltage electricity; bollocks!"

"Semyon, you're affecting her already," Anton laughed. "First it's a wrongly given level 5 offence for electricity misuse, next it'll be a bad language warning and maybe, if you take a look at me, it'll be an alcohol abuse offence!"

Anna punched Anton on the arm.

"20 volts is not high!" she protested.

"Ah Anna, you're first caution by the Day Watch," Semyon noted, smirking. "Don't worry Anna; you'll have many of those during your time with us. You should see how many times Anton's been cautioned."

"Is this 'breaking in' then?"

"Why not."

They arrived shortly outside the Gorsvet Headquarters, Semyon putting on the handbrake. The three of them joined Tiger Cub and Bear outside and entered the building, climbing up the stairs to Geser's office. When they entered, they found Vyacheslav sat at the long table talking to the Gorsvet boss, who was not looking very happy. The other five joined them, sitting down alongside their comrades and glancing cautiously at Geser. Clearly he was known for having a little bit of a temper when he was in a bad mood, so they were politely trying to skirt round this.

"You got back alright," Anton greeted.

"Fine thank you," Vyacheslav replied.

"Did you hear about what happened?"

"Geser told me that Day Watch gatecrashed again."

"Hmm, and they cautioned Anna."

Geser smiled and turned to Anna, who was still feeling a little annoyed about the high voltage offence.

"You see," he told her. "You can do it."

"I somehow felt confident," Anna replied.

"It's natural; any Magician can summon up such confidence out of the Gloom when they need it to do certain things. That reflects on your skills in combat today. The Light has awoken inside of you and because you believe in it, you can now control it. Like going into the Gloom and using your powers successfully."

"All to serve the forces of Light."

"And that is all you must do."

"Your first mission success," Vyacheslav added.

"Now to the point," Geser continued. "I know you said that Wolf refused to tell you where he was going and who he was spying on. However, he was unable to hide his thoughts from Vyacheslav."

"Good old Slava!" Bear proclaimed.

"I'm younger than you," Vyacheslav replied, curtly.

"And by a long way comrade!"

"I couldn't get the name of the person he was spying on, but I did get the location. He was on his way to Anna's hotel to do something, but he was hiding his thoughts too well to catch a name. He already knew that we were onto him and was ready for the Day Watch to come and rescue him. I had the feeling that he wanted us to know he was up to something."

"Scheming again," Semyon growled.

"It sure looks like it."

"After this Great Other?" asked Anton.

"Maybe; maybe not. We haven't got much in the way of evidence for field work just yet and Wolf's gone out of range again. But I think this needs to remain an ongoing case boss; I'd like permission to follow this."

"Of course," Geser replied. "Take all of these comrades for your team."

"Thank you. Anton, I need you to keep a watch on an visions you may have and see if you can see anything that might point to something bad. Any funny dreams, something to do with Black Vortices, anything! I need you to let me know. Semyon, I'd like for you to do the same if you can."

"If I get anything, I'll let you know," Semyon nodded.

"As soon as Wolf gets in range, I'll contact you."

All of them nodded affirmatively.

"This is good," Geser noted. "You're all acting like real officers of the Watch and not going around firing curses and spells at your enemies like there's no tomorrow! It's a good example for everyone, especially Anna who is only just starting to find her feet in the Night Watch. I'm proud of you all."

They all nodded politely.

"And now you've all earned a well deserved break until tonight!"

"Thank you very much sir!" Bear noted, happily.

"Anna, if you'd remain behind for a bit."

She nodded, staying back while the others gradually filtered out through the door. Semyon remained with her, but Geser waved him off much to his dislike, but he obeyed all the same. Geser moved back behind his desk, fumbling around inside one of the drawers.

"Do you feel different now?" he asked her.

"Very much so," Anna replied.

"In what way?"

"Stronger; more confident."

Geser nodded. "Good!"

He shut the drawer again and returned from behind his desk, fiddling with a key attached to a large key ring displaying the Soviet Union flag. He moved back over towards the long table, handing the key to Anna. She took it curiously, observing the Lord of Light with interest.

"What is it for?" she asked.

"Semyon tells me you're a good driver," Geser replied.

"He told me that, too."

"You'll need a van then."

"My own!"

"Oh yes. I fear that Vyacheslav's investigation will be a long one and I've given him a very large team to work with. More than just two or three. Six is far too much for a mere three seater ban, even with all the space in the back and Semyon can't be expected to do all the work, even if he likes driving. So I though you could drive around Vyacheslav and Anton while Semyon takes Tiger Cub and Bear. Don't worry, I'm not splitting you up from Semyon, I'm just being more realistic for transit."

"I'd love my own truck!"

"Then I'll introduce you."

Geser and Anna exited the office, travelling downstairs and going outside to the back. Here was a large car park with two rows of yellow Gorsvet vans, all of them with a thick layer of two piled on top like cake icing. They walked down to the far end of the second row until the stopped in front of one of the yellow vans. It looked a little like Semyon's except more worn, a flatter front and one big red flashing light on top of it compared to Semyon's two orange ones.

"She's one of the first we had," Geser stated. "But reliable."

"Doesn't anyone drive her?" Anna queried.

"Not any more, no. Agent Ivanova used to drive her, but she passed away eight years ago. She was killed by Wolf and this truck has never been driven since. It's always been known as a woman's truck, but we haven't had any more women drivers; Tiger Cub uses her own vehicle from time to time. You will be the first female van driver in eight years since Ivanova."

"I feel that is a great honour."

"It is Anna, a huge honour."

"How did she die? If you don't mind me asking."

"Not at all Anna. It is a horrible story, though. She was eaten alive by Wolf after her van was chased down by the Day Watch; it was been driven by Piotr, who's with Alisa normally. Agent Ivanova was driving to rescue our latest recruit; Anton. She was trapped and barely alive when we came to rescue her; it was too late for me to repair the damage done to her. I made sure her promise was kept to keep the van ready for another willing driver; she also predicted you would come to the Night Watch."

"And that was eight years ago?"

"Yes; that's how likely it was you'd choose the Light."

"I bet that unnerved poor Anton a little."

Geser gave a small smile. "Oh it did, but he came around."

Geser brushed some of the snow off the windscreen as Anna opened the driver's door and climbed inside, having a looking around. She took a small photograph that had been laid on the dashboard; it showed a well built woman who looked as though she were in her early to mid fifties.

"Is that her?" asked Anna.

"Yes," Geser replied. "Agent Nadezhda Nikolaiovna Ivanova."

"How old was she?"

"About 200 years; she was a Magician, very skilled in healing."

"How many of you are left from the beginning of things?"

"Right from the beginning? Myself of course; Semyon, Bear and Tiger Cub were also there. So was Ignat, but you haven't met him yet; something he'll decide to amend, I am sure. As for the Day Watch, Zavulon, Alisa and Piotr remain. Wolf is perhaps not so recent; he joined the Day Watch 400 years after it was formed."

"Vyacheslav is also recent, isn't he?"

Geser nodded. "And indeed is Vsevolod."

"Can my father ever become human?"

"No, he's an Other. But he can try to fit in; his powers can only be traded with something really important, and humanity can only be gifted back to him by the Dark as a Vampire. We're protecting him; Semyon keeps an eye out for him; he's my most trusted Magician since Agent Ivanova's death. And trust me, Semyon is a man you need as a good friend; I predicted your father would flee from the Dark, and I trusted Semyon to watch out for him. He saw him escape and he came to me straight away. You may need him to look out for you."

"Why?"

"You may need protection."

"From Who? Wolf? Zavulon?"

"Listen Anna, Zavulon is angry at your father's choice to be uninitiated from the Day Watch and become a lone Vampire living off donated blood. He did not agree with Anton's vision of the Lost Other who came from a Dark Other, but chose the side of Light. I have a feeling that Zavulon may try to use you against us."

"But how? I've chosen the Light."

"Hmm, Zavulon will have his evil ways."

"That wont make me sleep easier at night."

"You'll do well to be on your guard."

Anna got out of the truck and shut the door, stepping out onto the snow.

"Anyway, you'd better get back to your comrades," Geser stated.

"Are you not joining us?" Anna asked.

"I have things to do."

Anna left the boss as he entered the Gorsvet building again, she walking across the grounds. She met up with her fellow comrades and joined them in a well earned snowball fight. Before she returned to the hotel in the evening, Anna drove Semyon back to his flat in her new van. He was rather impressed that Geser had allowed her to drive Ivanova's old vehicle.

"Then you must be special!" Semyon smirked.

"Geser said she was the last female driver," Anna replied.

"She was, I remember her. She treated us all like her children; even the boss!"

"I feel that Geser was fond of her."

"Everyone was, and she was a great Magician… and driver!"

Anna and Semyon got out of the van, walking over to the towering flat block. They stood with each other for a few moments outside.

"Good day eh?" Semyon asked.

"I enjoyed it!" Anna replied, smiling.

"Well, now you're a real Night Watch officer."

"I do feel quite different."

"I'd like to ask you something."

"Always welcome Semyon."

"Well, you know that it's the start of the year 2000 and the new millennium soon. Moscow has a firework display going on and it's supposed to be better than the rest, seeing as it is the millennium. I was just wondering if you'd join me at midnight and we could watch them."

She smiled. "I'd love to Semyon."

"I'm glad you'd like to."

"But for the next day or so before then, I'd like to spend a bit of time with my family in case I decide to remain here. You can understand that can't you?"

"Of course."

"You don't mind, do you?"

"Not at all Anna!"

"Goodnight. I'll see you soon."

They embraced each other fondly, Anna kissing his cheek before returning to her truck and driving back to the hotel. For the next two days, and New Year's Eve, Anna spent most of the time with her family while she tried to make her decision. She even went to visit her father. But she was aware that the one thing that might make her decide was still to come.

---

**New Year's Eve, 23:00**

After dinner that evening, Anna was sat in the bar with Kate and Sarah. Semyon was on his way and she was beginning to feel rather nervous. Not really about spending a few hours alone with her closest friend, but at the possibility of living in Moscow. Should she stay with the Night Watch or return to Worcester and continue with her engineering course? As the time neared 11:00pm, she began to assume there was only one right choice. Outside, a horn beeped and Anna looked up, spying Semyon's van.

"He's here Anna," Sarah observed.

"Goodnight then," Anna replied.

"Are you coming back?"

"Maybe, but if I don't you'll know where I'll be."

She stood up off her seat and left the bar, running over to the waiting yellow van. It was certainly freezing cold during the late night in Moscow, she thought as she clambered into the warmth of the van, Semyon smiling at her.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

"Let's go!" Anna replied, grinning.

"I know a good part of town to go to."

"Well, you know the way driver!"

He laughed at being called 'driver' before putting his foot down and driving off. Anna watched the snow falling down and landing softly onto the bonnet of the van. This was already shaping up to be a beautiful night worth remembering. They didn't speak much as Semyon watched the road, leading them out of the city centre. Anna glanced at Semyon out of her corner of her eyes; would this also be a night worth remembering in their relationship? She hoped that if it was, it would only be for the right reasons.

Eventually, Semyon drove his truck up along a grassy bank outside of the main city. He parked and he turned off the engine, unfastening his seatbelt and shifting over into the passenger seat next to Anna. He smiled at her and winked playfully, looking down across over the city. All the lights were on the flat blocks and retail buildings; this would certainly be a perfect evening alone with Semyon watching the fireworks.

She sighed. "What a beautiful view."

"It's a nice place to come when you're feeling lonely," Semyon replied.

"Are you a lonely man Semyon?"

"Hmm."

"Moscow is an amazing city."

"I admit it is, and I see it every day!"

"Does it not get boring for you?"

"Only when it doesn't snow, but it snows most of the year."

Anna glanced down at her watch. "One minute 40 seconds to go."

He glanced at his. "One minute 53 by mine."

"We'll soon see who's right."

"200 roubles it's mine!"

Anna glanced at him, sharing a smirk. "You're on."

The both shook hands, leaning forwards against the dashboard, occasionally looking at their watches to check the progress of time. Anna caught Semyon's looking into the Gloom to try and predict how long in actual time.

"That's cheating!" she laughed.

"I'm Russian my love," he replied.

Anna blushed at the note of affection in his voice, quickly turning her gaze back to her watch. She'd found it difficult to ignore Semyon's suggestive comments over the time they'd known each other, but in a way she liked them. She was beginning to think that if he ever asked, she'd happily accept him. But what if he never did ask? Then she would have to.

"There we go!" Semyon exclaimed.

Anna came out of thought and looked into the sky. The first firework had been fired; it was a rocket that exploded with a massive bang and spread bright red light across the starlit sky. She glanced at her watch and smiled, turning to regard the expectant expression on Semyon's face.

"3 seconds passed 12!" she proclaimed.

"Ah!" Semyon growled. "Bloody slow."

"You owe me 200 roubles mate."

"Yeah, but you were three seconds too fast."

"But closest to the real time."

He looked at her smug expression and smiled.

"Happy new millennium."

They embraced each other, leaning back against their seats to watch the firework display. Anna had a quick thought back to the BBC in England; she wondered if they'd show a bit of Moscow. Was Russian TV showing a bit of London? But all that really mattered now was that she and Semyon were getting their own private showing alone on a snow covered grassy hill out of town.

"Should have brought some vodka," Semyon suggested.

"Even while you're driving?" Anna questioned, sternly.

"Ah, you see there's this nice little trick I'll have to teach you!"

He lit up a cigarette, winding down the window.

"I can actually remove alcohol toxins from the bloodstream," he explained. "I have to do this with Anton sometimes. It stops you from getting drunk, but I cannot use this for leisure, only in important circumstances. The same goes for smoking; I'm allowed to clear my lungs of all the crap because I'm saving my life!"

"True, because if you got hurt, it would be your fault."

He glanced at her. "Direct, aren't you?"

"It's the only way to deal with men."

"Do you know any better ways?"

Anna thought about it. "For a rare case."

"Does that apply to me?"

"If you behave."

"Then I'll see to it that I do."

They laughed, Anna inching closer to Semyon's side as they watched the rest of the firework display. He put an arm about her shoulders and rested his head on hers, unable to stop himself from smiling. This was going so well, he thought as he kept focus on the fireworks. But would Anna really accept his offer? Or was she only teasing him? He guessed he'd find out once the evening wore on. But the fireworks soon came to an end and Anna yawned and stretched by his side, beginning to feel tired.

"It's really late," she noted.

Semyon finished the cigarette and threw it out of the window.

"I know," Semyon replied, shortly.

"I suppose you'd better drive me back."

"Actually, I was wondering if you'd… err…"

He trailed off and scratched his head awkwardly, Anna shifting in her seat to observe him.

"If I'd what?" she asked, curiously.

His face reddened. "If you'd spend the night with me."

"Semyon, tonight's been wonderful sitting up here in the van with you on this lovely cold, winter's night. With all the snow and the fireworks, it really has been the perfect end to the day."

He looked unsure, Anna almost enjoying his uncertainty about whether she'd accept or not. He really was genuinely regretting a refusal. A smirk came to her lips as she reached up to take his face in her hands, stroking his stubble.

"Going home with you would complete it," she finished.

The smile that came to his face was priceless.

"You really think that?" he asked, softly.

"I do."

She brought his head down to hers and kissed him, a few seconds passing before his surprise ebbed away and he responded. This was exactly what her mother had meant; she did know when the moment was right, and this felt good. There could be no doubt that Semyon was the right choice for her. And of all the choices she'd made so far, including joining the Night Watch, this one felt the most important.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Anna woke up early that morning in the darkness of Semyon's flat. She sighed and rolled over onto her back, glancing at the bright numbers on the digital alarm clock; they read 05:31. This was the day she needed to decide whether to stay in Moscow or leave for England. But she had almost pretty much made her mind up. She looked over to Semyon, who was lying asleep next to her, on his back and snoring loudly. She smiled at him, reaching over and stroking the fluffy hair on top of his balding head, happy that it did not disturb him. It was strange to think that before she came to Moscow, she knew nothing of this man, but now he meant everything to her.

She leaned over and kissed him before climbing out of bed and picking up her scattered clothes. Anna yawned and stretched as she changed, feeling the muscles ache and tense after their usage last night. She hadn't used them that much before or indeed in that fashion, even at the gym. She smiled slightly; only the gym wasn't as enjoyable as last night with Semyon. But that was an obvious effect really, she thought as she exited the bedroom into the living room.

Anna made some breakfast quickly in the small kitchen and sat back down on the sofa in front of the TV. She switched it on, turning onto a new channel. There was a story about a brief disturbance in the metro where several people had apparently been shoved by unseen, fast moving objects. There was a conspiracy from several people that the metro was haunted because it had been dug into 'sacred land' or some rubbish. Anna smirked; ten years ago, she'd have been ready to believe that. But now she was aware of the Others and the Gloom, and these things were normal for her to recognise. Anna heard movement behind her and she turned round to watch as Semyon came into the living room, looking a little exhausted. But that was to be expected. He sat down next to her and put an arm about her, leaning his head against hers.

"You are an early riser," he grumbled.

"Did I wake you?" Anna asked.

He yawned. "I felt lonely and then woke up to find you'd gone."

"I'm sorry, but my stomach was rumbling."

He laughed at her, she ruffling his hair affectionately.

"Coffee?" she queried.

"Off you go then," Semyon answered with another yawn.

She got to her feet and left for the kitchen, Semyon watching her absently as she walked away. He smirked and returned to the news, which had now moved onto business reports. It was only talking about the health system budget, overspending on the millennium celebrations and the gas and oil industry. Semyon laughed; in the countless centuries he'd lived in Russia, the amount of backhanders being passed here and there had certainly increased.

Eventually, Anna returned with his coffee and sat back down next to him on the sofa, handing it to him. He took it and put it down on the table in front, suddenly remembering something and turning to face his partner.

"Some advice for living in Moscow," he began.

"Helpful advice, or…?"

She trailed of and shrugged.

"Just advice to give you as my student," he continued. "If you come across any policeman whose trying to book you for a stupid little thing, don't automatically go to use your powers. Do not try and re-moralise him! It'll alert the Day Watch, and you don't want that. Just give him a bribe."

"Semyon! You're telling me to bribe police officers!"

He shrugged and took a sip from his coffee.

"This is Moscow, my love."

He set it back down on the table.

"Have you made up your mind yet?" he asked, getting onto important things.

"You mean about today?" she queried.

"Yeah."

"I've thought a lot about it, and I'm afraid there's only one solution."

Semyon looked worried. "You mean you're leaving?"

"Well…"

She trailed off and looked at him, a smirk rising to her lips at the look of concern in his eyes. He really was dreading the possibility of her returning home; in face, she was almost willing to swear he would have cried.

"Of course I'm staying in Moscow!" she laughed.

His expression changed to a glare.

"Am I cruel to you?" Anna asked, a cunning gleam in her eye.

"Amazingly so."

Anna sighed and looked back to the TV, looking at a replay of the firework display over the Kremlin. She smiled and turned back to Semyon, wrapping her arms about his neck and drawing herself into closer to him.

"I love you," she told him.

He smirked. "I'll see to it that you do."

He bent to kiss her, but the phone rang from a shelf near the door. Grumbling a little at being interrupted, Semyon got to his feet and crossed the room, answering the call.

"Yeah," he replied, a note of irritation present in his voice.

"Semyon?" the response came. "It's Vyacheslav."

"Is this Wolf again, Slava?"

"No, not this time! Anna's mother and sister are packing their bags; they're flight out of Moscow is at 9:30 our time and they need to be at the airport two hours before. Anna needs to get down there to inform them of her decision."

"Sorry, I'd forgotten!"

"You'd best be on your way."

"Right away."

"I assume she's with you."

"Of course."

"How were the… err… fireworks?"

"Yes, we did watch them! I held myself until we got home."

"Good man, Semyon. Now get in that truck!"

"Yes sir."

Semyon shoved the phone into his jacket pocket, picked up the television remote off the table and turned it off. Anna watched him as he picked up his coffee and drained the whole lot before hurrying into the kitchen to dump it in the sink.

"Why the hurry Semyon?" Anna asked him.

"We need to get to the Cosmos," he replied.

"What for at this time?"

"Your lot need to be at the airport for 7:30."

"Blast! Really that soon?"

"Didn't you know?"

"I never thought to ask about the return flight."

"Thankfully Vyacheslav can read thoughts, now come on!"

Anna drained the rest of her coffee and slung on her Gorsvet jacket, holding Semyon's hand as they left the flat. They rushed over towards the yellow van, clambering inside and hurriedly belting up. Semyon slammed his foot on the accelerator and drove the truck out of its parking space and onto the road leading down towards the Cosmos. Once they got there, Semyon parked alongside Anna's van and they got out, rushing into the hotel.

"Can I help you?" asked the woman behind the check in desk.

"It's alright," Anna replied, breathlessly. "I'm staying here."

"Name?"

"We're booked under Sarah Smith."

The woman checked the computer.

"And who's your friend?" she queried.

"A visitor."

"Go ahead then."

Thanking the woman quickly, Anna and Semyon got into the lift and headed up towards the third floor. Taking a breather, they leaned back against the wall of the lift, trying to regain the energy they'd lost from running. As it stopped, they got off and walked down to Anna's room at the far end of the corridor. Fortunately, both doors had been left open so they could go between the two.

"Morning mum," Anna greeted.

Sarah came out. "Did you enjoy yourself?"

Anna and Semyon glanced at each other.

"The firework display was lovely," Anna replied.

Glancing down, Sarah noticed that her daughter was still holding Semyon's hand. She smiled, glancing between them.

"You're together now then?" she asked.

"I would say so," Anna replied.

She smiled up at her lover as he put an arm about her shoulders.

"Does that mean you're staying here then?" Sarah asked.

Anna nodded. "Yes it does."

"Then I hope it all works out for you."

"I'll have to move all must stuff over to Semyon's flat."

"In that new van of yours, I take it."

"I'm a licensed driver now."

Sarah nodded. "And fixing electrical things."

"That is what we do, yes. City Light Company."

"Why did you bring this?"

Sarah lifted up the search light Anna had brought with her, along with a small metal canister she'd been given by Geser. She set the light down on the table and unscrewed the lid on the metal tin, taking out one of the UV crystals inside.

"And what are these for?" Sarah asked.

"I brought the torch because I was worried we might have a black out," Anna shrugged. "You know how snow can clog up generators, and I'm scared of the dark. As for those, well, they're spare bulbs I got from Gorsvet."

"These aren't regular bulbs."

"They're for Russian torches."

"But this is a Duracell torch."

Anna shrugged again. "Same fitting."

"Please Anna, tell me what's going on."

"Nothing's going on, mum."

Sarah sighed. "Who are Semyon and your other friends?"

"We all work for Gorsvet."

"And what kind of organisation is Gorsvet? A City Light Company? I had this Russian guy in a weird fluffy hat stop me in a car; the woman with him spoke to me in English. She told me that my daughter was in trouble with their boss. They told me they were enemies of the people who worked for Gorsvet. And then Kate had a dream about the night when the Russian police came, except it was different from what happened. She said she was attacked by a Vampire and that you came, backed up by some people called the Night Watch. She told me this morning that your Semyon was there, and the others, with super bright torches."

"How strange," Anna commented. "What did she drink?"

"Please tell me; you've been so strange since you met these people."

Anna sighed and glanced at Semyon.

"Did something go wrong?" she asked him.

"I'd better get Vyacheslav over," Semyon replied.

"Should I explain to my mother?"

"As best as you can until Vyacheslav turns up."

"Is it best for him to wipe her memory?"

"If it'll protect her and your sister, then it'll be alright."

Semyon left the room into the corridor outside, walked passed Kate as she entered the room after hearing conversation. Anna sat down on a chair, listening as Semyon dialled Vyacheslav's number. Her mother and Kate sat down on the bed, Kate glanced outside at Semyon before looking back to her sister.

"Did anything happen?" she asked.

"A firework display," Anna replied, shortly.

"I don't mean that, I mean at his flat."

"Yes, but it's my own business."

Anna turned back to her mother.

"What do you want to know?" she asked.

"Anything that'll explain what'd going on."

"Ok; I don't work for an electrical company, but trust me, it's not the Russian Mafia or anything. Gorsvet pose as electricians so that humans think we just do regular jobs. We are the Night Watch, the fighting force of Light Others which is here to protect mankind from the Dark Others. So long as humanity has been here, Others have also been with them. The woman in the black car you spoke to; she works for the Day Watch which looks for Light Others breaking the Truce."

"You mean you're not human?"

"Not any more; I'm an Other now. With special abilities."

"What kind of abilities."

"You may find it hard to believe, but I'm a Magician with a unique power to take command of electrons. Semyon's also a Magician and he can do similar things to me, but much more powerful. Anton's a Seer; he can have uncontrollable visions of the future. Vyacheslav is a Psychic, which is more or less a Magician who can only specialise in the mind; he can alter people's memories, read people's thoughts and translate languages telepathically. Bear and Tiger Cub are Shape Shifters; their nicknames are relevant to the form in which they can take."

"So you can make lights come on?"

"We can all do that; we feed on Light."

"How?"

"It's simply how we exist in the Gloom."

"What's the Gloom?"

"It's sort of like a parallel world where the Others exist. We can cross between ours and yours, only you can't. All Others draw their power from the Gloom, whether they are Light or Dark."

"And you expect me to believe all that?"

"Anna paused, glanced at Semyon who had returned to the room. He nodded and indicated to the light bulb on the ceiling, leaning back against the wall and observing the no smoking sign sadly. Sighing, Anna turned to the light and raised her hand to it, reaching out into the Gloom. Carefully, she absorbed electrons only containing less than one volt. Sarah watched in amazement as the beam of light travelled from the bulb to her daughter's fingertips. Anna crossed the room and sat down between her mother and Kate on the bed.

"Touch my hand," she stated.

Sarah looked unsure.

"It's only averaging 0.87 volts," Anna reassured her.

Slowly, Sarah reached out and touched Anna's hand, but flinched away as a slight tingling sensation reached her fingers. Smirking, Anna turned back to the light and filtered the electrons back into the mains, the bulb glowing slightly.

"That's what we call particle telekinesis."

They all looked in the direction of the doorway, Anna surprised to see Geser standing there with the other Night Watch officers behind him. He crossed the room and sat down on the chair, the others gradually filling up the room.

"Who are you?" Sarah asked.

"I am Geser, Lord of Light," he replied.

"You can speak English?"

"No, Vyacheslav can translate for us."

Sarah glanced at Vyacheslav, who nodded.

"No secret Russian technology?" she asked.

"Just a very powerful mind," he replied.

"Anna is a very gifted young woman," Geser cut in.

"Certainly!" Semyon added.

Anton laughed and slapped him on the shoulder.

Anna blushed. "Thanks Semyon."

"I don't mean in that way," Geser cut in. "I mean she's a very gifted young Magician who was able to master many things before being trained. She could create an entire lightning storm at will which not even you can do Semyon, with no affinity for electricity. Anna could be quite dangerous if she turned to the Dark, but thankfully she turned to the Light so she can use her abilities responsibly. Her position in the Night Watch is now critical and, I'm afraid Sarah Smith, I really need your daughter to remain in Moscow."

"What do you do again?" Sarah asked.

"Catch Dark Others breaking the Truce."

"What's the Truce?"

"A treaty forged between the General of Darkness and I long ago at the Great Battle. Don't worry, it's difficult for humans to accept our existence, so I wont go through all the gory details of centuries back. All that happened was that our armies were equally matched, and to stop all of us being wiped out, I stopped the battle and forged the Truce. Ever since then, the Night Watch has been around protecting humans and the Day Watch has been around making sure we don't mistreat our purpose."

"How old are you?"

Geser smiled. "No older than Semyon."

"Both of you are centuries old?"

"Yeah," Semyon replied. "I know we don't look it."

"Tiger Cub certainly doesn't!" Bear added.

Tiger Cub blushed. "Thank you."

"We don't age like ordinary humans," Geser replied.

"That's why age doesn't matter with Semyon like it may have done if he were simply human," Anna explained. "I know he looks about 20 years older than me, but that is nothing for an Other. Now you know why I fear the dark so much and I really could turn those lights on. I can convert the energy of my fear to produce the light I need."

Sarah sighed. "This is difficult to understand."

"Maxim also finds it difficult, but he accepts it."

"Maxim knows about this?"

"From Vyacheslav."

"But how come you're an Other?" Kate asked.

"My father is," Anna replied. "He's a Dark Other."

"He never told me that," Sarah said.

"He wouldn't have done," Geser reassured her. "He turned Dark after peer pressure to look good. You see, the Dark Ones have always been know as being very glamorous; like working in nightclubs and driving posh cars. We've always been known as a shabby, under funded government Light Company. You can imagine how Vsevolod would have been lured into it; he was bitten illegally by a friend of his, but he had to license Vsevolod when he turned. He's a Vampire, you see."

"What?"

"I know that seems strange."

"But he never… err… you know…"

"He was beginning to resent allowing that boy to bite him, and he saw his decision had been wrong. You leaving him triggered that off. He's getting help from me and protection from Semyon to try and fit back into the human community. He doesn't feed on the living anymore and he wanted Anna to join the Night Watch."

"So she had a choice?"

"Anna chose the Light, perhaps long before she came to Moscow."

"The Dark didn't appeal to me," Anna added.

"Only podgy, balding van drivers," Anton laughed.

"Watch it Antosha," Semyon growled.

"You could have worked in a nightclub Anna!" Kate proclaimed.

"Be realistic," Anna told her. "Me?"

"You could have had a fast car."

"I've got a rocket powered van, Kate."

"Just what you wanted then."

"An under funded Light Company suited me more."

"Who wouldn't it suit?" Tiger Cub questioned.

Kate decided not to comment on that, and it was there that she was happy Kate was not an Other. The lifestyle of being a slutty pop star in a sleazy nightclub would appeal to Kate and would make her choose the Dark. Even if they didn't like each other that much, Anna would not have wanted her to be on the side of Evil. But she was only human after all and completely English at that.

"We need to go to the airport," Sarah noted.

"I'll pack me case too," Anna replied. "I'll take you to their airport in my van."

Anna left the room, Semyon following her. Geser continued to answer her mother's questions as she heaped everything back into her case, Semyon wheeling Kate's out into the corridor. She sighed and sat down on the bed after she'd filled the case and zipped the top back on. A few moments later, Semyon came back in to join her on the bed, slipping arm about her waste.

"You seem troubled," he stated.

"I'm a little worried," Anna replied.

"About what?"

"Staying here while my mother goes back to England. I've never really been away from home for a long time before and I'm not really used to being without my mother. I guess it's not such a big deal, bit it means that I'll rarely get to see her again. It's worrying for me. Other or human, I'm still 21."

"You'd have had to move away eventually at that age."

"I suppose being with you makes it easier."

He smiled. "Of course it does."

"But I have to stay here."

"You don't have to you know. It's up to you, not Geser."

"Semyon, I cannot go back home to England, even if I want to. I'm working for the Night Watch now and at home, I can't do that. I'm among my own people here. And I can't leave the only man I love."

She ruffled his hair. "You mean too much to me."

"It's a privilege to hear you say that."

She kissed him. "It better be!"

She stood up off the bed and pulled up her suitcase, putting her bag over her back and picking up her laptop carry case. Semyon took her hand and they left for the corridor outside, meeting Sarah and Kate.

"We'd better get the truck loaded," Anna noted.

"Are you sure you can drive?" Kate asked.

"Of course, Semyon taught me and he's driven vans for 70 years!"

Kate glanced at Semyon briefly, Vyacheslav coming up behind her.

"Don't say that," he warned her.

Kate jumped back and stared at him.

"Don't say what?" she asked.

"What you just thought," Vyacheslav replied.

"Alright, so what did I want to say?"

He sighed. "You were surprised he could fit behind the wheel."

"Be glad you live in England girl," Semyon growled. "And be glad that I serve the side of the Light. If I had no respect for my gift and the Night Watch, I'd put a vortex over your head!"

"Only I can insult Semyon," Anna added.

"Does that mean I can insult you too?"

"Of course not, or you'll be the one with the vortex."

"Anyway, Vyacheslav I needed to ask you why your psychic memory ran out. Kate said she had a dream about the real event involving the Vampire. Shouldn't she have always thought she was lured in by a vicious, most wanted local psycho who was caught by Anna and me?"

"Yes, I'm not sure why," Vyacheslav replied.

"Are you feeling ill or something?"

"Perhaps the thought wasn't strong enough. I have to admit, I was that desperate to shut her up that I did a hasty job of replacing the memory with the false one. Clearly that has shone through."

"We need to get to the airport," Sarah cut in.

"Sorry."

Vyacheslav glanced at his watch. "Indeed we should!"

Semyon, Bear and Anton lugged the cases over to the lift and stepped into it, Anna following them, but they filled up the lift completely, so everyone else had to rush downstairs. Sarah signed out of the hotel and paid the bills while Anna assisted Semyon in loading her van. They shut the side doors of the van, turning to face the rest.

"We'll have to split up between the vans," Semyon observed.

"Sarah and Kate you can come up front with me," Anna explained. "Tiger Cub, do you think you can squeeze up front with these two? No offence meant Bear, but my mother and Kate take up pretty much the same amount of space as you."

"None taken," Bear replied.

"You never say 'no offence' to me," Semyon noted.

"It's not my duty to insult Ilya," Anna explained. "That's up to Lena."

"I'll remember that," Tiger Cub said, smiling.

"Now you've done it," Bear grumbled.

"Geser and Anton had better sit up front with me then," Semyon explained. "Bear and Vyacheslav, you'd better get in the back. In my van though, you'd possibly get crushed by all the suitcases in Anna's."

"Then blame Kate for packing too much," Anna said.

They all climbed into the vans, Anna pulling up behind Semyon as he lead the way to Sheremetyevo 2. Tiger Cub glanced up at the items hanging from the mirror; there were three things there; a CD, a plastic Gorsvet logo and a small tennis ball. Looking over to the corner, she saw a small red fan which was used to cool the driver.

"Ivanova's fan," she commented.

"I've been told she hated the summer," Anna replied.

"Oh, she did. She was born in arctic Russia. I hate summer, too."

"Hmm, I don't like it myself."

Tiger Cub looked at a small photograph stuck on the dashboard near the wheel. The picture showed Anna and Semyon sat together, both looking very happy. Actually, Tiger Cub had never recalled seeing Semyon as happy as that.

"What a lovely picture," she observed.

"I can look at him when I'm stuck in traffic," Anna explained.

"Just so long as you don't miss the green light."

"Oh I'm sure impatient drivers behind me would let me know."

"When did you take that?"

"Last night after the firework display before we went back to his flat. We found a photo booth in town somewhere and selected a large size single photo so I could stick it in my van. Semyon's got one as well, although he wasn't ready in that so his eyes are closed. He looks quite cute."

"Cute?" Tiger Cub laughed. "How lovely!"

"If Semyon's not with me in the truck, I need a photo."

"But if he was in the truck, would you get any driving done?"

"Good question. Probably not."

The two of them laughed, Anna following Semyon as he parked the van in the short stay car park opposite the terminal building and dragged the cases into the airport, leaving Anna's behind in the van. They left Kate and Sarah to get their luggage on the belt, Anna joining her friends in a café bar. They sat down on one of the sofa seats, Anna sitting down besides Semyon and putting an arm about him. Anton and Vyacheslav went to order drinks, Bear and Tiger Cub steeling their seats on the sofa and also sitting rather closely.

"Are you sure you're willing to stay?" Geser asked.

"There's more for me here," Anna replied.

"It takes a lot of courage to leave your family behind."

"But I cannot leave here. I know it's hard to say that there are more important things in my life now than family, but I've come to realise that now. Of course, you could say my position at the Night Watch is only a job, but I've got Semyon as well. He is rapidly becoming the most important thing in my life."

"That's a good enough reason to stay."

Anton and Vyacheslav returned with four of the ordered drinks, having to make two more trips to fetch the other five. They returned to the table for the final time, glancing between Bear and Tiger Cub and back to the chairs. Both of them sat down, still looking troubled.

"New seating arrangement?" Anton queried.

"The sofa's more comfortable," Bear replied.

"What about us?"

"You two don't need to sit so close."

Bear rested his arm along the back of the sofa behind Tiger Cub, she smirking at Anton and Vyacheslav. Soon, Kate and Sarah returned with their luggage swapped for plane tickets, pulling up some extra chairs. Vyacheslav pushed their drinks towards them, glancing over to the computer screens to check flight times.

"It's still on time," he commented.

"Good," Sarah replied. "I hate waiting."

"I trust you managed to get tickets?"

"Yeah; they allowed a seat deletion without charge."

"Good to hear."

He cleared his throat and drained down some of his coffee, stretching and leaning back in his seat. Sarah decided not to comment; she still wasn't used to the story about the Others yet.

"We'll have these drinks and go to customs," she stated.

"And then we'll have to go," Anna replied.

"You can watch us take off, can't you?"

"No; we can't go passed customs, you know that."

"So that's it then?"

"Yes. I stay here while you go on through."

Sarah nodded. "It's your choice, I guess."

"I can email, I promise."

"What about all your stuff?"

"I can gradually get it over somehow."

"By Aeroflot? That would be impossible,"

"Only a few clothes, cables and gadgets."

"What about your computer?"

"Hmm, there is that…"

She trailed off and glanced at Semyon.

"How would you fancy a trip across Europe to see the Euro Tunnel and England in the truck?" she asked him. "We could take turns in driving and stop off at truck stops along the way. You know, eat and the service stations, sleep in the van on the roadside and yell at foreign people. It could be fun!"

"I like the idea!" Semyon replied, grinning.

"You do?"

"Even if it's just for cosy nights alone in the van."

Anna nodded. "I thought you'd see it that way."

"That is impractical," Geser cut in.

"You think so?" Semyon asked, a little disappointed.

"A little. However I can think of another way."

"Learn to fly a plane?"

"Not quite."

Geser turned to Anna. "I have something you may like."

"Ooh, what?" she asked eagerly.

"We'll discuss it later."

Geser glanced at Semyon. "You can stay too."

"Then I shall," he replied, smiling.

Anna shook her head. "One of these days Semyon, I'm going to feel lost without you around. If I go anywhere and you're not with me, I probably wont know what to do! I'm getting used to your presence too much, but that's how it should be."

"Hmm, what do you like about my presence?"

"I always feel safe; I know that you'll protect me."

"Of course I will. Anything else?"

"I love everything about you."

Anna leaned against him and kissed him, Anton laughing and causing Semyon to gesture at him. After a few moments, Anna sat back, glancing at the board and watching the minutes tick by. Sarah and Kate felt increasingly uncomfortable, but she couldn't tell whether that was to do with a dislike for Semyon or her being an Other. She knew that Kate detested overweight men and anything differing from the 'normal', and her mother wasn't exactly imaginative. Although the decision hurt a lot, Anna had to face the fact that she'd ultimately loose contact forever.

"Customs time," Geser broke the silence.

They all hurriedly finished their drinks.

"Passport Kate?" Sarah looked at her daughter.

"All in here," Kate replied, indicating to her little handbag.

"Good, then we're ready."

As they got to their feet, Semyon took Anna's hand, squeezing it affectionately just to let her know he was with her. She smiled; loyal Semyon. It was great to be in love with such a man, and such a rare thing. It was even better to have that love returned unconditionally, but she would expect nothing else from him. She watched as Sarah and Kate walked off ahead, slightly separate from them; she may as well have been in the Gloom. She sighed. Now it was evident that Semyon was the most important person in her life.

"We'd better join the queue before it gets too long," Kate suggested.

Sarah turned to Anna.

"What shall I so about the college?" she asked.

"Tell them that I have a job," Anna replied.

"That you're an electrician in Moscow, you mean."

"That is all you can tell them."

"What about Maxim?"

"Tell him I met Vyacheslav as he told me to."

"And that's it?"

"He'll know to get in touch with him."

"And all your stuff at home?"

"I can let you know when I plan to come over."

Sarah nodded. "And then what? You leave forever?"

"You're making this very difficult, you know. I have a different life now and there is no way I can go back to what I was, even if I wanted to. I have an obligation to keep the forces of Evil at bay. I have a binding to Semyon and I wont abandon him regardless to what you say or think; this is my choice."

"Like choosing this so-called side of Light."

"You can't understand this, mother."

"So I'm just to sit back and loose you?"

"I have a new life."

"Look what you've become Anna. You're not the same anymore."

"Of course I'm different now; this is my true self."

Sarah nodded. "Then you are no longer my daughter."

"What right have you to interfere with my choices? What right have you to decide my future for me? None at all! It's not up to you if I stay with the Night Watch, it's not up to you that I fell in love with Semyon and it's not up to you to tell me who I am. I wish you could understand, but you cannot because you are afraid of being different. You are afraid to see a different world. Then I…"

"No Anna!" Vyacheslav exclaimed.

Semyon grabbed her and pulled her back.

"Say no more," he warned, softly.

"What do you mean?" Anna asked him.

"You heard that?" Vyacheslav queried.

"You're an Other Anna," Semyon continued. "You know that certain things must not be formed into words; you can't go around cursing yourself for having a human family. You have enough energy to create a lightning storm across the whole of Russia. You will also have enough energy to open a Vortex around you capable of wiping out an entire continent! Some words are not simply words."

"Not anymore," Geser added.

"How did you hear her thoughts?" Vyacheslav asked.

"I don't know," Semyon replied.

Anna turned back to Sarah.

"You'll never understand me," she stated.

"Maybe I don't want to," Sarah replied.

"I learnt to walk away; so walk away I must."

Taking a deep breath, Anna turned her back on her mother and younger sister, Semyon putting an arm across her shoulders. Slowly, she walked away from the customs office with the Night Watch, leaving her family to exit the airport. It was strangely liberating, turning her back on humanity and lifting the chains binding her to mortality. Her life was about to change forever, and it was even possible that her destiny would never be decided until the balance between Good and Evil slipped. And then the destiny of her friends and enemies would also be decided.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Later that day, the Others had gathered outside of the Gorsvet Headquarters for a break, getting involved with a snowball fight while they waited for a duty call. Anna was helping Semyon, Bear and Tiger Cub build a snow version of the Spasskiy Tower while Vyacheslav was on the phone to his brother and Anton was at home, probably asleep. Semyon watched as Geser walked by and hurried indoors.

"Excuse me a moment," he noted.

He left the area, jogging over to the doorway and disappearing inside the building. Anna looked confused, watching the door as it blew shut behind her lover. However, her thoughts were interrupted as Bear attempted to build a snow star for the top of the tower, but failed rather miserably.

"Semyon wont like that," Tiger Cub noted.

"Maybe he can pinch a proper star for a bit," Bear replied.

"That'll go down well, I'm sure."

"What's up with Semyon today?" asked Anna.

"How do you mean?" Tiger Cub queried.

"He seems a little confused about something."

"Maybe he's ear's giving him trouble again."

Anna glanced at her. "Sorry?"

"Has Semyon not told you about that yet?"

"Hang on, is that the landmine thing?"

"Yeah. In 1941."

"He mentioned it briefly."

"He'll probably do so again."

Something suddenly caught Bear's attention and whatever it was made him cringe and drop the messy snow star. Following his gaze, Anna saw that he'd laid eyes upon a male with long dark hair and a small beard. He was talking to some women in the Night Watch, who appeared to be hanging on to his every word.

"Bastard," Bear grumbled.

"Who is he?" Anna asked.

"Ignat, who else."

"I don't know him."

"You will," Tiger Cub noted, acidly.

"Do you not like him?" Anna asked.

"Not him, just his methods and nature," Bear replied. "He's a handsome git; thinks he can pull any woman under his spell. That's his gift, the power to seduce almost any woman. Lena came running back to me when he tried."

Bear slipped an arm about Tiger Cub's shoulders.

"He'll pick you out soon Anna," he finished.

"Does he know Semyon?" Anna asked.

"Everyone knows Semyon, Anna."

"Then he'll know I'm not available."

Bear laughed. "I'd love to see Ignat try to allure you to his side; I can see already that you find him as transparent as glass. I love to see that git fail; Semyon and I find that a matter of personal pride. I'd enjoy the moment he finds out you're attracted to Semyon, never mind physically involved with him!"

Anna blushed. "Physics involved."

Tiger Cub glanced at her. "Are you?"

She blushed again. "Yeah."

"How lovely! I didn't realise you were that close."

Bear nodded. "Then that's why Semyon ran after Geser."

"About that?" Anna asked curiously.

"I've heard about this before; Semyon will mention it, I'm sure."

Inside the warmth of the Gorsvet building, Semyon knocked of Geser's office door. He entered, shutting the door behind him and crossing the room to sit at the far end of the long table near the desk.

"What can I do for you Semyon?" asked Geser.

"I'm a little troubled," Semyon replied.

"Bickering with Anatoly again?"

"No, about this morning at the airport."

"About what Anna nearly said?"

Semyon nodded.

"I see. I imagine you want to know why and how you managed to hear what she was thinking. After all, that is Vyacheslav's speciality and not yours. You know you did that to stop her from saying those words aloud and cursing herself."

"Well, I more or less sensed them."

"How so Semyon?"

"I felt she would say something that could open a vortex, even over her or her mother and I managed to stop her. I didn't even know that Vyacheslav had told her not to already. It wasn't like the way he can actually hear people's thoughts, more of a feeling that she'd say something she shouldn't."

"I understand."

"Why did it happen?"

"How deep do your feelings for Anna go?"

Semyon felt uncomfortable. "How do you mean?"

"Your relationship; is it physical, emotional…"

He trailed off and shrugged, watching as Semyon's face turned red in embarrassment. He cleared his throat and shifted in his seat uncomfortably, not really expecting the boss to ask the question.

"All of that, sir," he said eventually.

"You love her unconditionally," Geser continued.

"Of course!"

"Love is a very powerful emotion, and as a Magician, even more so for you and you have learnt to use it as energy. If you are as close to Anna as it appears, then you have forged a powerful connection with her that cannot be broken. You have used the power and the energy of that love for Anna to awake the gift of protection I gave to you. Only her importance is more to you than the Night Watch. You will subconsciously defend her and protect her from harm without thinking about it. Like in the airport today; you were able to protect her from creating a vortex over herself that would have taken out the entire airport!"

"Will she do the same for me?"

"Only you have the gift, Semyon."

"Oh, the one you gave to me."

"Exactly. But she can convert her love into energy to do the same."

"I can feel her even now."

Geser smiled. "Go on."

"It's almost as if I can sense her at the very deepest part of my mind. And something is always there, keeping an eye on her and telling me what she's doing. If I concentrate, I can see her when she's not in danger. Like now; she's given up on the Spasskiy Tower with Bear and Tiger Cub and making a mini Kremlin in the snow. She's a little cold and lonely without me… I really want to go to her."

"You know how to use it Semyon."

"I've never felt that before."

"When did you start feeling it?"

"Since last night; I woke up feeling lonely because I knew Anna had moved."

"Your physical bonding woke that power up inside you."

"Are you assigning me to protect her?"

"You've already assigned yourself."

"What about Vsevolod?"

"Vyacheslav can do that."

"Can I go to Anna now?"

Geser laughed. "Of course! But bring her up here to my office. I promised that I'd show her something to help her get her things from England. And as I said before, you're welcome to stay behind this time."

"I'll be back in a minute."

"Congratulations Semyon."

He looked confused. "What for?"

"Your latest talent; it's a rare power, love."

"Maybe you should at least try and get Olga released."

"What power do I have Semyon? In the eyes of the Inquisition, Olga committed many crimes and errors of judgement. She was a powerful sorceress and often led astray by that. She has to serve her punishment."

"As you said, love is powerful."

"I need the right situation."

"Maybe it will come."

Semyon shrugged and left, Geser sighing and watching the door. Semyon was a good man and the most helpful and loyal. At times, he was also incredibly powerful. A true officer of the Light; pure in heart, mind and soul. He knew that one day, a woman would appreciate his kind and gentle nature, and it had been Officer Ivanova that predicted a lost other may come to love the one of the Light's most powerful Magicians. But even at that, Geser knew how well Semyon performed on the battlefield, almost like a different man. Yes, Semyon was very powerful, and due to his pleasant nature, greatly misunderstood. Geser sat back down at his desk and observed the ink drawings of the Virgin in the margins of his book. Thankfully, his split second thought that was the Lost Other, was wrong. Anna was not the Virgin with the Inferno hanging over her head; that was the fate of some other poor woman not yet discovered.

Later during thought, he was interrupted by the door to his office opening. He looked up and shut the book, watching as Semyon returned hand in hand with Anna. That was a sight that was now becoming common to see. The two of them sat down closest to his desk, watching as the Gorsvet boss stood up from his chair to fiddle around in a filing cabinet.

"What is it you have for me sir?" Anna asked.

"When I find it," Geser replied.

Anna glanced over to Semyon, who shrugged and continued to watch Geser curiously. Eventually, Geser took something out of the cabinet and shut the drawer, locking it again before joining his comrades at the long white table. He handed the large sheet of thick, blue paper to Anna, who took it with intrigue.

"It's a set of plans," Semyon stated.

"They were drawn up by Ivanova in a flash of inspiration," Geser replied.

"Ingenious!" Anna proclaimed. "How did she think this up?"

"Agent Ivanova had a dream of flying, but she could never afford to learn to fly a plane. She always wanted to be a pilot, but soon after, she discovered she was an Other and turned to the side of Light. She had a brilliant imagination, so she came to me with a proposition to create her van into a transforming flying machine. But we never had an engineer good enough for the job until you came."

"You think I can do this?"

"Well, why not."

"I've only just learnt how to assemble a computer!"

"And you've found out you are a top level Magician."

Anna thought about it. "I'll need a good look."

"You can do anything if you put your mind to it. We have equipment and metal."

"This might become a long term engineering project."

"Do you think you'll need extra hands?"

"Most definitely!"

"I'm sure Tiger Cub and a few others will help you."

"I'll get to work after a bit of study."

"Inform me of your progress."

"Of course."

"You could use that to fly over to England to get the rest of your things moved over here, especially your computer. Flying across Europe would be a little easier than driving across. I'm sure you'll have no trouble mastering how to fly it as well as driving it. Semyon always told me you're a natural."

"A trip to England will be brief."

"I'm sorry your mother took it so hard."

"Well, I'm moving on from there."

"Good. Just don't dwell on it too much."

"There was nothing I could have done."

"I trust Semyon is making it easy for you."

Anna glanced at Semyon and smiled. "Of course."

"As I said, it doesn't take much to charm her," Semyon added.

"You might be surprised, Semyon."

"Maybe you'd better see how well that snow Kremlin of yours if getting on," Geser suggested, though not in a tone as if he wanted to throw them out. "Before it starts getting dark and we come on duty."

"Good idea," Semyon replied.

The two of them got up and left the office, Anna shrugged her Gorsvet jacket back on; she not overly fond of central heating. When they got outside and looked at all the snow, Anna suddenly remembered how warm English winters were in comparison. Today, the temperature was supposed to have a maximum of -18°C, but at night it would be much colder. Even at night in England, temperatures were lucky to get below freezing and it was always above during the day. Anna even remembered being able to wear a T-shirt in winter back home; that certainly wouldn't be advisable here. However, her thoughts were soon interrupted by a man joining them.

"You must be our new recruit," it was Ignat. "Anna isn't it?"

"Anna Kepalenko, yes," she replied.

"Awfully cold out today, isn't it?"

"I like the cold, but I'm perfectly warm, thank you."

"Well, I'm sure…"

Semyon cleared his throat loudly.

"Ah Semyon!" Ignat greeted. "I didn't see you."

"Get lost Ignat," Semyon growled.

"I'm just being friendly."

"I know what you're up to; you're never just friendly."

Ignat smirked.

"It wont work," Semyon finished.

"I never fail," Ignat replied.

The Magician smirked. "You failed with Tiger Cub."

"Tiger Cub was an exception."

"You may find Anna is also."

Ignat turned to face Anna and smiled.

"Are you free tonight?" he asked.

"No," Anna replied, bluntly.

"Really? What plans do you have?"

"Possibly an early night unless I'm called on duty."

"You know, I could always join you for an early night."

Anna laughed. "You really are as clear as glass, just like Bear said. I can read you like an open book with large bold print with writer's comments alongside them. I'm sorry to break it to you Ignat, but it takes a special man to charm me."

"Hard to get, hmm?"

"No, just already taken."

Ignat looked taken aback, Anna failing to ignore Semyon's laughter by her side. Clearly Ignat was not used to being told a woman wasn't free. A smirk came to her face as she linked arms with Semyon and leaned against him.

"Our driver beat you to it," she stated.

"Semyon?" Ignat asked.

"None other."

"Seducing her was easy," Semyon added.

"You? How did you…?"

"A pleasant face and a kind heart," Anna replied. "A lovely, affectionate man like Semyon will easily win over the best looking man on the planet, which of course must be you, Ignat. Although I must say, Semyon as that special something that really makes you long to feel what he's made from."

Anna stroked Semyon's face, smiling at him.

"Loyal Semyon," she murmured.

"You've been busy I see," Ignat told Semyon.

"Honestly, it was no trouble," he replied.

"Enjoy yourselves then."

"We will I'm sure."

Ignat left, but turned back to look at Anna.

"How is your relationship with Semyon?" he asked.

Anna smirked. "Very romantic and physical."

She turned away, catching Bear's laughter at the shocked expression on Ignat's handsome face. Semyon, smiling to himself like a satisfied cat, sat down in the snow and leaned back into a drift, looking up at the sky and allowing the snow flakes to fall on his unshaven face.

"What a stunning victory," he sighed.

"You sure beat that handsome git to it!" Bear commented.

"Personal pride Ilya, personal pride!"

"Such a wonderful thing."

They laughed together, Tiger Cub turning to Anna.

"How did you find him?" she asked.

"I've found windows harder to see through," Anna replied.

"You and I have the greatest resistances in Gorsvet."

"I'll drink to that!"

"Met Ignat have we?" Vyacheslav asked.

"One nil to me," Semyon replied.

Semyon shifted over to allow Vyacheslav to collapse next to him in the snow drift. Yawning, Vyacheslav took a swig if mulled wine out of his stainless steel Soviet arm flask, offering some to Semyon who accepted.

"That's good stuff," he commented.

"Gives you a nice warm stomach," Vyacheslav replied.

"Where's Anton got to?"

"He's met up with his friend Kostya."

"That boy's father helps Vsevolod to cope."

"How is Vsevolod?"

"Geser's assigned you to protect him now. I've been given a new job to protect Anna. You were wondering how I knew what she thinking in the airport this morning? When she nearly cursed herself? Well, Geser gave me the gift of protection a long time ago when he thought I'd need it for something. I used the energy of my love for Anna to use it, so now she's my partner, it came to life."

"I knew that would happen!" Bear replied.

"Geser said it was a rare thing."

"It is and it's very powerful."

"You're just too nice!" Vyacheslav laughed.

Semyon shrugged. "But I do enjoy a good punch up now and then, you know. Though to be honest, I haven't really had a good fight since Yuri the Dark Sorcerer and the battle on the bridge that started off this whole thing. Trust me; I certainly gutted a fair few Dark Others back then."

"To serve the Light, where's the harm?"

"I've got a good record in the Day Watch book compared to most."

"Except bad language," Tiger Cub cut in.

"I told you, that's not a fucking crime!"

They laughed at him, Tiger Cub, Bear and Anna taking their turn in showering him with snowballs. Eventually, he got to his feet and brushed all of the snow off himself. Anna turned back to Tiger Cub, who had finished taking a swig of Vyacheslav's mulled wine.

"You're an engineer aren't you?" Anna asked.

"A bit of one," Tiger Cub replied.

"Geser said you and some others could help me with this."

Anna handed Tiger Cub the blue prints to Ivanova's flying Gorsvet van. She took one long look at it and laughed, handing Anna the plans back.

"Are you a good engineering then?" Tiger Cub asked.

"As a Magician, Geser seems to think so," Anna replied.

"When are you going to get started?"

"As soon as I know where to begin."

"Well, keep me posted and I'll grab some engineers."

"Could you fly it?" Semyon asked.

"I imagine so," Anna replied. "If I can drive a van without looking at the road, then I should be able to fly one."

"You could teach me how to!"

"I'd love to Semyon."

He grinned. "Fancy something to eat before dark?"

"You're on."

They waved to their comrades before leaving the grounds of the Gorsvet Headquarters, climbing over the fence to take a quicker route into the centre of Moscow. Semyon took Anna's hand, she smiling and leaning against him as they walked through the snowy streets of the Russian capital.

"We'll get a takeaway," he noted.

"Where shall we sit then?" Anna asked.

"Hmm, I know a place you'd like. Not secret though."

He winked at her playfully, leading her down to the fish and ship shop. They bought some takeaway chips, Semyon leading Anna through the centre of town. They crossed Red Square, Anna turning the regard the magnificent Kremlin as they walked passed it. They walked passed Lenin's Mausoleum, Semyon glaring at the tourists who went in.

"They should bury the poor chap," he noted.

"Were you around during the revolution?" Anna asked.

"Of course! I had to test Lenin to see if he was an Other."

Anna glanced at her partner, curiously. "Was he?"

"Unfortunately no, and nor were any of the other Soviet leaders."

They walked down alongside the Kremlin and the Moscow River, which was presently frozen over. The crossed the road and walked onto a bridge, stopping half way along to regard the massive red fortress. Semyon leaned back against the railings, Anna joining him.

"You get a great view of the Kremlin here," observed Semyon.

"It's a wonderful building," Anna complimented it.

"I used to like Soviet Russia, you know. My flat block has fallen into disrepair ever since the collapse of Communism. I was always proud to fly the Hammer and Sickle, but you get used to the knew flag really. The new one makes us more part of my new favourite union, the European one. I like Europe, too. You know, I used to work in the Kremlin under Andropov."

"KGB agent?"

"No!" he laughed. "One of the many electricians, not just fixing the lights but keeping Vampires away from our leaders; you've know idea how many of them would have loved to initiate a Soviet dictator to the Dark side. Many Light Others worked for the KGB, Dark Others too. I was always a Gorsvet worker though. So where Bear and Tiger Cub, only they never worked in the Kremlin. I even remember under the rule of Tsar Nicholas, we always used to compare Ignat to Rasputin!"

"Ignat's that old too?"

"Unfortunately yes."

"Was Rasputin an Other?"

"Not a great one, but yes. He was a Dark Other. So all of those stories about him having strange powers to do with the church and everything; don't believe them because they're total bollocks. Rasputin was just a Dark Sorcerer, and a bloody crap one at that."

"You were a Soviet then."

"Oh yes!"

"Did you hate any of the leaders?"

"I hated Stalin because he made it very difficult for the others to keep and eye on each other. We thought he worked for Zavulon at first until we realised he was just a bit of a psycho and had a natural feeling of dislike towards Others. He could sense something different about us. All Others, Light and Dark, were sent to the Gulag for all sorts of weird and wonderful things. We all breathed a huge sigh of relief when Khrushchev came to power."

"Did you like working in the Kremlin?"

"Oh yes! Because the Kremlin needs constant work to keep it in good trim, Andropov was asking people to work on it. I, a simple electrician, volunteered to clean the stars; he laughed at me of course, but accepted my offer. He never laughed at me again after that. They never knew how I did it, but all they knew was that in the morning, they'd be nice and shiny with that ambient red glow."

"Ah, so you make them glow like that!"

"The happier I was when I cleaned them, the more they glow."

"Do you still do it now?"

"Of course, I still take care of them."

Semyon glanced up at the star on top of the Spasskiy Tower, looking over to Anna briefly. He reached up and, amazingly, took the star off the top of the tower from the air and left it in the palm of his hand. He showed it to Anna, who picked it up and gazed at it in amazement.

"How do you do it?" she asked.

"It took practice of course," Semyon replied with a smile.

"I'd love to learn how to do that!"

"Sorry, it's a thing I take personal satisfaction in doing."

She smirked at him. "That special then?"

"Indeed."

Semyon took that star out of Anna's hand and blew off some of the snow flakes before placing it back on top of the Tower. He must have used the Gloom to do it. He sighed and finished off the chips still left in the paper bag.

"My work's not really appreciated any more," he said sadly.

"You must have liked the Soviet Union," Anna noted.

"I did. Gorsvet looked better back in those days as well. As you can see, we still use vans we had during the Soviet era, but no one wants to change them because we've all grown fond of them. Today's government leaves us to get on with things, but we like our image now."

"Then no one should try to change it."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Over the next week, Anna had accomplished many things. That included licensing a Dark Other to open a pub underground that only opened during the night for Vampires, under the one condition that they didn't break the Truce, and also completing her Flying Van. That had been a challenge to engineer, but it eventually worked and now, at the push of a button, wings and a tail fin retracted from the sides of the vehicle and the exhaust pipes widened to make small jet turbines. Normally, it looked just like an ordinary Gorsvet van, but when it transformed for flight, Tiger Cub described its appearance as simply a van with wings stuck on it. It wasn't exactly a clean piece of engineering, but it fitted the image and Anna was proud of it. She'd only needed to make one quick trip back to England with Semyon to fetch all of her things. No painful conversation with her mother; just pack the van and fly.

That night, Anna was sat with her team at Gorsvet on a park bench; they were on patrol, waiting for a call to come through from the office about a mission. Anna was sat leaning against Semyon, fiddling with the battery casing on her search light. Anton filled the space next to them while Vyacheslav leaned against a lamp post smoking, and Tiger Cub and Bear were sprawled out with each other on the snow covered grass. It was beginning to get dull.

"Is anyone board?" asked Anton with a yawn.

"Wolf and his pack come here sometimes," Bear noted.

"What if they turn up while we're here?"

"Then we move without a fuss," Vyacheslav replied with a mouthful of smoke.

"We could fight them; it'd be more interesting," Anton suggested.

"Geser won't like that though."

"True."

"And we love to keep the boss happy," Tiger Cub added.

"We could sit in the vans," Semyon suggested.

"It might be more comfortable," Anna agreed.

"You look comfortable sitting up there," Tiger Cub observed.

"Well, Semyon's rather comfortable to lean on."

She laughed, leaned over and kissed his cheek.

"Regardless to what your seatbelt says," she added.

"Then I'll remain this way," replied Semyon, smiling.

Anna went to respond, but they soon had to cut their conversation short as Bear's phone rang. Almost in anticipation of now having a decent job to do, Bear quickly answered the mobile.

"Yeah," he said.

"Bear," it was Anatoly. "I have something."

"About bloody time; go ahead."

"We've had some more problems with Wolf again, which has not pleased Geser seeing as Anna arrested him not that long ago. He's chased a group of four school children, all of them boys, into that same abandoned car park his Vampire friend tries to feed. Geser wants you, Tiger Cub and Semyon to go in and sort the situation out."

"What about everyone else?"

"Put them on standby."

"Alright."

Bear cut the phone call, getting to his feet and brushing off the snow on his jacket and trousers. Tiger Cub glanced up at him with interest, the rest of the team all waiting to hear what their mission of the night was.

"Are we all going then?" Tiger Cub asked.

"No, just you, me and Semyon," Bear replied.

"What about us?" queried. Vyacheslav.

"You're on emergency standby for us."

"So we listen out to see if you're dying or not then."

"Something like that, yeah."

Bear offered his hand to Tiger Cub, assisting her in climbing to her feet out of the snow, she brushing the remaining flakes off. Semyon got to his feet, Anna also joining him and taking his hand before he left.

"Drive carefully," she told him.

"Do I have to remind you?" Semyon protested.

"Yeah, yeah. You've driven trucks for 70 years!"

"Exactly."

"So you're pretty talented at driving."

He winked at her. "Amongst other things."

"We'll see when we get home."

Semyon smirked and kissed her before leaving, Anna sitting back down again on the bench. Semyon, Bear and Tiger Cub went over to their usual yellow van, taking their usual seats. They belted up, Semyon grumbling during the usual struggle to get it on; it was going to plan already.

"Bloody hell," he growled.

"Anna thinks you're comfy," Bear commented.

"This damn seatbelt certainly isn't!"

"It's that same single story car park again."

"The indoor one where Wolf helps that friend of his?"

"That's the one."

"Will they ever leave it alone?"

"That's not on Wolf's plan, no."

"What's Wolf up to now?" Tiger Cub asked.

"Chasing kids there and trapping them, probably for his friend," Bear replied.

"Then let's get that bastard!"

"Step on it, Semyon."

He started up the engine and accelerated of towards the target, now beginning to feel lonely without Anna, but he shook it off. He needed to fight Dark Others tonight, and he didn't want stupid sentimental feelings going round his head in the process. It was not the best road to success. He drove quickly along the roads, following the signs and not paying much attention to the traffic he cut across; Bear and Tiger Cub were always fond of his driving skills anyway.

"I hope we're not too late," Semyon noted.

"Then drive faster," Bear replied.

"Hey, you try in all this rubbish!"

He indicated to all the traffic around him, increasing the pressure on his food and racing through, beeping his horn to make people get out of his way. Magical intervention wasn't really appropriate here, and what would he do anyway, blast the cars out of his path? It sounded like fun, but Geser would have his head for doing that. They drove passed a nightclub, Semyon not taking a care in the world as he sprayed snow over a pair of slutty looking girls talking away in a non-Slavic language. Tiger Cub laughed at them, Semyon bowing his head in appreciation.

"They'd better we're clothes next time," she noted.

"Anna would love me for doing that!" Semyon laughed.

"She already does love you, Semyon."

"More then."

He turned several sharp corners before arriving at the single story indoor car park that had been in question so many times before. He parked the van outside and shut of the engine, the three of them climbing out and going round to the back of the truck. Semyon opened the rear doors and climbed inside, taking out two torches for Bear and Tiger Cub whilst taking a halogen light for himself. Also grabbing a torch for safe keeping, Semyon slammed the doors shut and lead the way into the car park. He warmed up the halogen light until it glowed brightly, Bear and Tiger Cub following his lead with their torches aimed.

"Patch through to the others," Tiger Cub told Bear.

He took out his phone.

"Hello Vyacheslav?" Bear asked. "Is this thing on?"

"It's working Ilya," Vyacheslav assured him. "Are you there?"

"We're looking out for the boys now."

"Anna's ready to drive us in if you need us."

"Good; just listen out for us being murdered."

Vyacheslav laughed. "We're listening for you."

Bear attached the phone around us belt and hid it underneath his jacket to keep the emergency feed a secret to their enemies. He reached forward and laid a hand on Semyon's shoulder.

"Where do we start?" he asked.

"I'm trying to find them," Semyon replied.

"Should have brought in Stingray; he's better at this than you."

"And I'm the one who taught him how to do it!"

"Should have drunk some blood to hunt the Vampire."

Semyon grimaced. "That stuff makes me sick! That's Anton's field."

"Still, it's the best way to catch Vampires."

"Yeah, but he wasn't Calling the victim, was he?"

"Hmm, good point."

"Listen!" Tiger Cub hissed.

Bear and Semyon stopped their conversation, listening carefully. Bear looking enquiringly at Tiger Cub and opened his mouth to speak, but she gave him a warning stare. Bear then closed his mouth, glancing at Semyon who shrugged. They listened again, eventually picking up some faint words.

"I'm telling you Evgeniy, they wont just send the girl and the fat guy," said one voice. "I bet they'll send the psychic with them, possibly the Seer too."

"I think they will," Wolf replied to that. "Anna arrested me once and she's the Magician's lover, so he'll go with her. Geser is eager to prove the girl's power, so he'll want to send her alone."

"You're wrong Evgeniy!"

"So who do you think Boris?"

"I told you; the two Magicians, the psychic and Anton."

"I don't think so," a third voice added, this one more intelligent than the others.

"So what are your words of wisdom Yuri?" Wolf scoffed.

"They'll send the two shape shifters and Semyon Pavlovich."

"Since when did you use the fat guy's patronymic?"

There was a pause. "Never mind."

Semyon smiled at the note of embarrassment in Yuri's voice.

"I showed him a thing or two," he whispered.

"We'll hear about it later," Tiger Cub replied.

"Why do you think that?" Wolf continued.

"To wreck your plans Evgeniy," Yuri replied.

There was a slight pause, followed by a boy's scream and a slap.

"Think about it Evgeniy," the one named Boris cut in. "Yuri's not always right; he only cares about that fat van driver anyway. He's not a psychic, he's a Sorcerer. They'll send Anna and the trucker to arrest us, the psychic to pick our brains and Anton to kick our arses. Come on Evgeniy!"

There was a sigh.

"Four of them?" Wolf queried.

"In those roles, yes!"

"A Vampire telling the future?" Yuri queried sarcastically.

"I told Alisa that Geser would send all five of his top men to arrest me at the hotel Cosmos to capture Anna," Boris protested. "And that's what happened! And I even suggested that Alisa and Piotr wouldn't rescue me, and they didn't!"

"That is true," added Wolf, backing up his friend.

"That's who'll they send…"

"They could be talking for a while," Bear whispered.

"Do you think it's only those three?" asked Semyon.

"Sounds like it."

"Then let's go."

"I'm going in stronger," Tiger Cub stated.

There was a brief flash of light and Tiger Cub switched from her human form into that of the tiger. It was most likely Yuri the Sorcerer would have felt that energy change, even if the others didn't. Bear smirked and scratched Tiger Cub behind the ears, she closing her eyes lazily and purring.

"Big softy," Semyon grumbled.

Tiger Cub hissed. "Watch it, fat guy."

"That's hardly fair."

"Sorry."

"Besides, I'm watching those claws Lena."

"Hmm, tempting, but then Anna's face comes into mind."

"That would be thin ice," Bear agreed.

Semyon sighed. "I miss her."

"Now who's the softy?" Tiger Cub noted, humorously.

"Alright, point taken."

The three of them moved forwards until they came to a pillar. Semyon peered around the concrete stack and saw the group of four school boys tied up against a second pillar. The other three were strangely hanging around, just waiting for the Night Watch to show up. The familiar form of Wolf with his scarred skin and prickly face, Boris the Vampire with the long greasy blond hair, and Yuri the Sorcerer looking the most impressive of the four in a long black fur coat and slicked back black hair with a thick scar across his left eye. Semyon smirked; the mark he'd left upon Yuri to make sure he never forgot losing that battle.

"Should we go into the Gloom?" Semyon asked.

"No," Bear replied. "Not to free the boys."

"Alright. Ready?"

Bear nodded, Tiger Cub flexing her claws and scratching them on the concrete floor of the car park. Weapons ready, the three of them moved out from behind the pillar. They came forwards and spread out, Bear brandishing two torches with Tiger Cub growling at his heals and Semyon armed with the halogen light.

"Night Watch!" he shouted.

Boris looked around. "Where are the others, pig?"

"No others; just us."

"Looks like you were wrong," Yuri noted.

"Either way," Wolf cut in. "They're here."

"Release the hostages you bastard!" Tiger Cub hissed.

"Not very negotiable are we?"

"Release them or I'll hurt you."

Her eyes darkened. "Badly."

"Try me, cat woman."

In a flash of dark red light, Wolf transformed from his rather weak human form into the strong, grey wolf with the bright red eyes. He glared as he growled at Tiger Cub, saliva dripping down his long fangs. The four boys watched in fearful silence, Yuri reaching into his pocket and placing his sunglasses over his eyes. Boris inched forwards, Bear flashing one of his torches at him.

"Get the hostages Semyon!" he shouted.

Wolf lunged at Semyon and cut across him, Tiger Cub streaking through the air like a bullet and knocking him back away from the Light Magician. Wolf pulled back and ran headlong into a pillar, Tiger Cub facing him with the fur along her back raised and her tail bushing. One of the young boys screamed as Boris's fangs lengthened and made a run at Semyon who held up his halogen light in defence. The Vampire grabbed hold of the glowing bar, but recoiled in pain with blistering hands. Bear then raised both torches and shined them at Boris, he shrinking back as the two crossing beams burnt a hole in his checked shirt and burnt all the skin off his chest. He backed off and tripped over, one of the closest boys screaming as he saw his burnt flesh.

"Brutal force!" Yuri accused.

"He gave me no choice," Bear growled. "You know that."

"You're violating the Truce."

"And you're not?"

"You licensed Boris to feed."

"On donor blood; he's a licensed Vampire, we haven't given him anyone yet. He's allowed to feed on the bottled blood we supply. We do not agree to him getting help from other Dark Others to round up defenceless children in the middle of the night. This situation is not legal."

"But you still…"

"Don't provoke him," Semyon warned.

"Come back again Pavlovich?" Yuri snarled.

"You and me; goes back a bit, doesn't it?"

"Get back into your van!"

"And run you over? Is that an offer?"

Snarling angrily, Yuri aimed a concussion spell at Semyon, who repelled it easily with his halogen light. It knocked out one of the ceiling lights, the small glass fragments falling to the ground.

"Now who's provoking?" Boris asked from the floor.

They were cut short as Wolf lunged at Tiger Cub, who was now no longer in the mood for avoiding brutal force against a Dark Other. She caught him during the lunge, tossing him high into the air and bringing him back down to land further away. Boris scrambled to his feet, sneaking up on Bear and grabbing one of the torches. Semyon got their first, swinging the halogen light ahead of him and slamming it into the Vampire's head. Crumpled, Boris fell to the floor in unconsciousness.

"It's a pity he's already dead," Semyon noted.

"He'll feel that in the morning," Bear added.

Yuri moved forwards and pushed Bear out of the way, knocking him flying back into the path of Wolf and Tiger Cub. He slammed into the pillar, small fragments of concrete falling off into his long, curly black hair. He reached for his phone as Tiger Cub covered him, sinking her long teeth deep into the scruff of Wolf's neck.

"Vyacheslav!" Bear exclaimed.

"What the fuck is going on?" Vyacheslav replied.

"Get down here now! Emergency!"

"Is it Yuri?"

"Semyon will have to deal with him."

"We're on our way."

Vyacheslav turned to Anna, she and Anton both belting up.

"Let's go," he ordered.

"The traffic will be bad," Anna warned.

"Then as quick as you can!"

"Yes sir."

She slammed her foot down on the accelerator, all three of them being shoved back into their seats. Although she was an exceptionally good driver, she did not have the experience that Semyon had, so not the ease of control. Both Anton and Vyacheslav noticed how less smooth she was at the wheel than her tutor.

Back at the single story car park, Yuri and Semyon came face to face, still ignoring the crumpled form of Boris on the floor.

"Semyon Pavlovich," Yuri noted. "It has been a while."

"You really were afraid of me back then," Semyon noted with a smirk.

"Not any more. Not now Zavulon took me in."

"True; I was a little off track not to notice how you fed on Darkness."

"And you, Semyon Pavlovich. Surrounded by Light."

"Do you want to be beaten again, Yuri?"

"I'm much more powerful than I was."

"Still, I'm better than you."

"Zavulon swears I'm your equal, Semyon Pavlovich. Yeah, so I may not have the same great reflexes as you or the ability to drive at over 400km/h with my eyes shut. But now this is not so easy for you."

"All this talk Yuri? Aren't we passed all this now?"

Yuri aimed another concussion spell at Semyon's head, but he ducked low and spun round. He brought the halogen light down with him, hitting Yuri across the back. The Dark Sorcerer backed off and straightened, his neck clicking back into place as he stretched.

"Great reflexes," Semyon smirked.

"Where's your Spellcasting gone Semyon?" Yuri queried.

"Dropped the Pavlovich have we? I don't need spells for you."

"The Night Watch wont let you! You can only serve others!"

"You did a bad deed capturing these kids. Now I can do good."

Yuri was fortunate he had tripped over a cracked paving stone, for at the same time, Semyon cast a mild Siberian Winter from Novosibirsk. Behind him, the concrete pillar had been frozen solid in ice, Yuri looking at it uncomfortably.

"That could have been you," Semyon replied with a shrug.

"Novosibirsk?" Yuri snarled. "Sentimental at best, Semyon."

"I take pride in capturing my home town's winter."

Yuri leapt to his feet and conjured up a steel blade from his sleeve and jabbed it into Semyon's shoulder. The Light Magician recoiled slightly, tensing his shoulder blades to stifle the pain. Semyon reached back and aimed a small impact spell at Yuri's solar plexus, forcing the Dark Sorcerer to withdraw his blade. He spun round and made a slash at his enemy's stomach, but Semyon leapt back, instead falling over Yuri's feet. As he fell, he kicked up with his legs, flipped over mid air and clubbed Yuri in the face with his halogen light. Yuri fell as Semyon landed firmly on his feet.

Elsewhere, Anna was stuck in heavy traffic, trying to work her way through. She weaved her way along the roads, beeping her horn and getting no polite responses in return. She turned a corner, Anton and Vyacheslav holding their breaths; she was impatient and desperate to get to the car park.

"Bus!" Anton shouted.

"What?" asked Anna.

"Watch out for the bus!"

"What bus?"

"That bus!" Vyacheslav cut in.

Anna had cut a red light and was almost cut off by a bus moving perpendicular to her. She turned to steering wheel rapidly, the yellow van spinning round and crashing into a shop. The truck rolled over several times before landing back on its wheels, Anna quickly composing herself and driving off again.

"Shit!" she cursed. "I've lost my way!"

"Then fly!" Anton shouted.

"Take off in the middle of Moscow? Are you mad?"

He winked at her. "Only a little, now fly!"

Sighing, Anna pushed the button under the dashboard, the steering wheel moving out a little way to create the steering column. Two wings spread out from the underside of the van, looking as though they'd just been cut off Concorde, painted yellow, and stuck on the truck. On top at the back, a downwards pointing tailfin came out and locked into place while the exhaust pipes widened, the small turbines inside starting up and spinning round with blue flames flying out from them.

"Does it work?" Vyacheslav asked.

"I flew to England in it," Anna reminded him.

Anna pressed down on the accelerator pedal, the van reaching incredible speed and almost blowing a man off his bicycle. She drove passed a couple of police officers sitting in cars, but she hastily made them turn and look the other way.

"Lovely," Vyacheslav commented.

As Anna reached a certain speed, she pulled the steering wheel towards her, the van taking off into the air. She banked over and swerved away to head back towards the city centre, narrowly missing crashing into a flat block. They flew over the park, an old man on a bench with a paper bag of warm chips watching them with his mouth hanging open in shock. Not knowing what to do, Anton waved back, leaning into his seat as Anna continued to look out for the car park.

"He'll have dreams tonight," Anton noted.

"Shouldn't we alter his memory?" Anna asked Vyacheslav.

"No," Vyacheslav replied, laughing. "I know the way humans think. You can imagine what'll happen; that man will go down to the police station and say to the guy on duty he saw a van flying. The next morning, he'll wake up in an asylum!"

"That's cruel Vyacheslav."

"It's true thought, isn't it?"

Anna sighed. "I guess it is."

Back at the car park, Tiger Cub and Wolf were still locked in a fight, Semyon and Yuri as well. However, both Bear and Boris were still out. Semyon had reached a stalemate with Yuri; now the Sorcerer worked for the Day Watch and in a high position, he couldn't do anything to hurt him otherwise he'd find himself in trouble with the Inquisition. All he could do was put Yuri off guard and repel his curses. However, they soon heard a noise from the distance, the fight stopping for a moment.

"I know that sound!" Tiger Cub proclaimed.

Semyon smiled. "She's coming."

The ground started to rumble a little, some small dust particles being dislodged from the ceiling. A cracked tile fell onto Wolf's head, his reaction shoving Tiger Cub against Bear, who rolled into him and changed back into human form. Snarling, Wolf made to attack them both, but a high pitched sound suddenly filled the air. Wolf shrunk back, changing into his human form.

"That's a bloody aeroplane!" he exclaimed.

"Sounds like one doesn't it?" Semyon replied.

"You know what that is, don't you?"

"Naturally."

"Then what the hell is it?"

"Backup."

Light suddenly flooded the building like a helicopter searchlight. Yuri backed off from the light, Boris coming round, but still struggling to move. Wolf tried to figure out where the sound was coming from before rushing over to help Boris. More light flooded the room and Yuri backed away from everyone else, cowering into the dark.

"Where are you going?" Wolf demanded.

Yuri waved to him before vanishing.

"You coward!" Wolf exclaimed.

"Has he gone into the Gloom?" asked Tiger Cub.

"No, he teleported himself back home," Semyon replied.

"It's no hardship for a Sorcerer," Wolf shrugged.

"He's improved since we last met."

"Take the damn kids; we're out of here!"

Before Semyon could do anything, Wolf took Boris and vanished into the Gloom. At that moment, Anna's flying van crashing in through the roof, landing with a bump in the vicinity. It came to a halt, Anna parking it close to where the boys were tied up. Anton and Vyacheslav got out to rescue to children, Anna quickly going over to Semyon and embracing him fondly.

"Are you alright?" she asked him.

"Absolutely fine," he replied.

"Oh look, you're cut."

She reached up and stroked the cut down the right hand side of his face, the skin beginning to heal as she did so; he hadn't even noticed that one. She moved back behind him and did the same to the deep gash on his shoulder, even bothering to repair his torn T-shirt and jacket. Vyacheslav led the four boys outside to modify their memories before sending them home. Anna turned back to face Semyon, taking his face in her hands and kissing him, but he pulled himself free.

"Come on," Semyon protested.

"You didn't even heal yourself!" Anna exclaimed.

"Look, I only forgot."

"Where did Wolf and Boris go?" asked Bear.

"Boris?" Anton and Anna queried.

"The Vampire that tried to bite Anna's sister at the Cosmos."

"Wolf took him into the Gloom," Semyon explained. "I bet they'll be long gone by now. They weren't too impressed that Yuri teleported himself out and left them behind; Wolf called him a coward! I bet Yuri will now go crying to Zavulon about this; first Bear attacking Boris and then me fighting him."

"What did you do?" Anna asked, smiling.

"I'll tell you in the evening."

"Hmm, I'd love to see you in action."

"Some day you will, I think."

Anna smiled and kissed him again.

"We'll fight side by side," she told him.

"Hmm, and win too I think!"

Anton and Bear glanced at each other and rolled their eyes skyward, Vyacheslav returning from the outside and helping Bear and Tiger Cub to their feet. Both of them were feeling a little dazed.

"Let's get back to headquarters," he noted.

"What is it?" Semyon asked.

"I need to let Geser know something."

Vyacheslav climbed back inside Anna's yellow van, Anton getting in alongside him. Bear and Tiger Cub left for the outside, Anna briefly stopping Semyon and checking his eyes over.

"Not feeling dazed?" she asked.

"I'm fine to drive yes," Semyon sighed.

"I hope so Semyon."

"Look, I've been driving trucks pretty much since they were first invented and I know how to drive them enough. And besides, as I've told you before, a Magician at my level can drive with their eyes closed!"

Anna still looked concerned.

"Trust me," Semyon finished, winking at her.

"Such a trust worthy face," Anna replied.

She kissed him, leaving him to go out to his truck while she climbed into the driving seat of her own. She started up the engines and turned to drive out, beeping her horn at Semyon who was still jogging out of the car park. She caught up with him quickly, winding her window down as she pulled in and trundled alongside him.

"Almost there," she told him.

"You like me this way," Semyon reminded her.

She leaned out and smacked his arse.

"Shall I lead the way back to Gorsvet?" she asked.

"If you like," he replied.

Smirking, Anna wound down her window again, driving off and stopping ahead of the second yellow van. Semyon eventually reached it, opening the door and climbing in behind the wheel. Bear and Tiger Cub watched him as he fastened his seatbelt.

"You took your time," Bear noted.

"Leave it Ilya," Semyon replied.

Bear went to comment again, but Tiger Cub glanced at him pointedly, gently resting a hand on his arm and smirking. Semyon shook his head, started the engine and drove off after Anna's van. He felt uncomfortable, looking up into the sky as it was beginning to cloud over. There was something wrong with the way Wolf had taken the young boys; he let them go too quickly if he was trying to feed Boris. And what did Yuri want with a sleazy Vampire and a maniac Dark Shape Shifter? Semyon knew Yuri very well once, until he turned to the Dark.

"What's wrong Semyon?" Tiger Cub asked.

He sighed. "I don't know."

"You're feeling something again."

"Yeah," Bear agreed. "Your stomach!"

Semyon laughed. "Maybe Ilya, but no. There's something going on and it's going to build up soon. Vyacheslav's noticed it and he's much more attuned to people's minds in the field than me. Perhaps we should get Anton to work on a few energies, maybe even Stingray if he's available. I want to keep an eye on Anna and Yuri for now."

"Why Yuri?" questioned Tiger Cub.

"He's been acting suspiciously."

"Doesn't he always?"

"No, I mean hanging around with Wolf and Boris."

"You know Yuri better than any of us," Bear replied.

"That's why I'm suspicious of him."

Semyon parked in behind Anna's van, putting on the handbrake and getting out into the snow. Anna instantly came over to him, putting an arm about his waste and slipping her fingers into his back trouser pocket. The six officers went into the analytical department, reaching the cool air conditioning of the computer room. Anna never went into this section first; the boss had immediately put her into the field with Semyon as her instructor.

"Hi Anatoly," Anton noted.

He slapped the young man with the round glasses on the shoulder.

"The boss needs all of you," Anatoly noted.

"Where is he?" asked Vyacheslav.

"He'll be here in a moment."

"I need to tell him about Yuri," Semyon added.

"You know a lot about Yuri," Anna replied. "Another story Semyon?"

At that moment, Ignat came in, his eyes falling on Anna who was standing with her arms about Semyon. Tiger Cub glanced at him and smirked, turning to back to watch as Semyon brought up a wheelie chair and sat on it, Anna sitting on his knee with her arms about his neck.

"I'll love to hear it," Anna noted, fondly.

"Well then," Semyon began. "I first knew Yuri when he was only 48; pretty old for an uninitiated Other, but he has a human appearance of a 28 year old. He kept it well hidden whether he was Light or Dark; he knew he was an Other. He asked me about the things I did for Gorsvet; you see then, he was unaware that was the Night Watch during the day. I was unsure which side he was on. Yuri kept insisting that it was for educational purposes, but I was still uncertain. Then one day I found out he was Dark and that he'd started working for the Day Watch; that was the same day he asked my name. The instant I introduced myself as Semyon Pavlovich, he knew that Gorsvet was the Night Watch and that I was one of Geser's best Magicians.

"I duelled with Yuri and won of course; I gave him that scar to remind him. His experience then was little to none, so I could easily anticipate his moves. The little bastard provoked me into using my coldest weather attack; he sprouted knives from his fingertips, his favourite little trick and I was forced to throw a Deep Siberian winter of Pevek at him. Then Zavulon himself turned up and gave me my only level 1 offence after thawing him out. Yuri was made to learn everything possible and became one of Zavulon's best Dark Sorcerers intent on spying on me. He's a good Spellcaster now and he's capable of killing."

He glanced at Anna's concerned expression.

"Not me though," he assured her. "Not because I'm twice as powerful as Yuri, but because Geser gave me the gift of protection due to a vision he'd had that I'd need to protect someone important. That is why a Dark Sorcerer is not allowed to kill me. As for the gift of protection, I needed to have that for you, Anna. The important bit was very vague at the time, but of course not I found out that it's not just importance to the Night Watch but to me."

"What a lovely story Semyon," Ignat cut in.

Semyon and Anna turned to stare at him, Semyon immediately tightening his grip around his lover's waste. Bear also noticed that, slipping an arm about Tiger Cub and pulling her to his side, she getting caught by surprise and having to put an arm across his chest to stop herself from falling over.

"It's one of my best," Semyon replied.

"You tell far too many," Ignat noted.

He turned to Anna.

"I trust he's boring you," he queried.

"I love Semyon's stories," Anna replied.

"No one listens to them any more."

"I do; It's rude to ignore him."

"I can think of better things to do. I have a place I love to go to in the Crimea; we could all go down and have a good party. We can all get a little drunk, not just Anton, and have a great time. We could especially Anna; you, me and Tiger Cub."

"Get stuffed," Tiger Cub growled.

"I hate the Crimea," Semyon grumbled.

"I can't handle hot climates," Anna added.

"Discussing a party already?" asked Geser.

Jumping a little at the surprised interruption by the Gorsvet boss, they all turned to look at him. Ignat's perfect features blushing and Semyon's expression rather pleased at the cut off of that conversation.

"Yes sir," Ignat replied.

"He's trying to steel my lover again," Semyon told the boss.

"I'm not buying it," Anna added reassuringly.

Ignat blushed.

"Quite right," Tiger Cub grumbled.

"I see," Geser noted. "Well then Ignat, our friends here are not keen on your methods and they've succeeded in finding a permanent companion. Please just leave Anna and Semyon alone, the same goes for Tiger Cub and Bear."

"Sorry," Ignat mumbled.

"I should think so," Semyon replied.

Ignat then left before willingly admitting defeat.

"Right then, down to business," Geser began.

"Sir, Semyon and I need to see you," Vyacheslav explained. "It's about Yuri and what happened at the car park. It's also about who I've been assigned to watch; Vsevolod Petrovich Kepalenko."

"My father?" Anna queried.

Geser paused, thinking about it.

"Semyon and Vyacheslav stay behind," he stated. "Everyone else, well done."

First to leave were Bear and Tiger Cub, both of them returning home; they lived in separate flats, but both tended to share a lot. Anton then left with Anatoly, planning to check up on the computers with his friend before going home for the night. Anna remained behind for a moment to talk to Semyon, Geser not hurrying them up.

"Shall I wait in the truck?" she asked.

"Go home," he replied.

"I'll wait up for you."

"Go to bed if you want."

"Not without you."

"Hmm, I guess I wont sway you."

She smiled and shook her head. "Not a chance."

"Then I'll see you in a moment."


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Anna sat in the flat on the chair, looking out of the window and watching the snow gently fall on top of her yellow van. She was smiling absently, remembering with satisfaction the expression on Ignat's face every time he saw her with Semyon. The handsome Russian was surprised that a woman as young as 21 would feel an attraction for a man with the human appearance of 40. But what Ignat couldn't see was Semyon's pleasant face, his loyal attitude, his gentle nature and his loving smile. And he also had no idea of the side of Semyon that Anna now knew; his domestic side.

She came out of thought when she saw the light from headlamps appear besides her van. Semyon's yellow truck arrived soon after and came to a halt next to her's, the engine stopping and the lights switching off. Anna smiled warmly as Semyon got out of his van, walked through the snow and went out of sight into the flat block. There was something very warm and comforting about Semyon's presence and it made her feel wanted. She moved away from the window and leaned against the back of the sofa, waiting for her lover to return. Eventually, the van driver came into the living room and turned the main light on, walking over to Anna.

"You did wait then," he noted, smiling.

"Of course I did," Anna replied.

"You promised me something."

"Hmm, don't forget do you?"

She smiled and went up to him, slipping her arms about his shoulders and drawing herself in closer to him. She kissed him, stroking his stubble as she did so and beginning to unfasten his Gorsvet jacket. Semyon laughed and pushed her away.

"I didn't mean that!" he explained.

"You didn't?" She sounded a little surprised, even disappointed.

"No. You promised me to have a spin in your flying van."

"Oh yes! Now I remember."

"We can do that later."

She smirked. "Fly first, eh?"

"That's what I had planned."

"Then it's right this way."

Smiling, Anna fastened Semyon's jacket back up, he reaching forwards and taking her jacket off the back of the sofa. He helped her into it, smirking at her before slipping his hand into her back trouser pocket and taking out the keys to her van. They walked out together, the cold blast of the biting Russian air hitting them hard across the car park. They climbed into the flying van, Semyon getting into the driver's seat and Anna sitting in the passenger seat.

"So what are the controls?" he asked.

"The same as in an ordinary van," Anna replied.

"Where do I start?"

"Drive into that open space."

Semyon started up the engines and drove off into the clearing that Anna had indicated to. He left the engine running, the petrol fumes warming the air behind the van as he turned to Anna.

"That's the morph button," she began. "When you push that, all the flying gear comes out and the wheel sticks out a little bit. Don't worry; it's not enough to make your stomach uncomfortable. Then you use the wheel and the gears like normal, but you can pull the wheel towards you to pitch up and take off, and push it away from you to pitch down and land."

"Sounds simple."

"Jerking the wheel hard to the left and right make the van bank over."

"Hmm, so I could roll it over like a MiG jet?"

Anna smiled. "Exactly like a MiG jet, Semyon."

"I bet it won't take long to learn."

"I didn't think you had advanced learning techniques?"

"Not in the way you do, no. However, I am a top level Magician remember?"

He smiled and winked at her, pushing the morph button and transforming the van into the flying van. Semyon turned it round and bombed down the car park, reaching a fast velocity before taking off into the air. Anna sat back and relaxed, watching as Semyon worked his magical driving expertise on her van. It was as if he had driven it for all of his life; much like he had done with ordinary trucks. His control over the vehicle was supreme, not unconfident due to lack of experience. Although flying the van was similar to driving it on the road, there were subtle differences that forced the driver to alter their skills. Semyon had perfected it wonderfully.

Anna looked out of the window, watching in amazement as he drove them high into the sky above the clouds. As the driver, she'd never really managed to get a good look at the astounding view of Moscow below. They passed alongside an Aeroflot plane, its destination Sheremetyevo 2 and its origin possibly Vladivostok in the Russian Far East. Anna waved to the passengers that looked out and saw them, leaning back into her seat and laughing.

"We'll have Day Watch onto us," Semyon noted.

"No," Anna noted. "They'll take it as jet lag."

"Who?"

"The passengers."

"I see! I thought you meant the Day Watch."

They laughed together, Semyon banking the truck down and passing back through the clouds. They flew around the top of the state Duma, sincerely hoping that no one was photographing it tonight or they'd get a shock. He swooped in low to trail the wheels into the Moscow River, cracking the ice but not quite reaching the water below. Semyon pulled them back up and took them home again, bringing the van in for a soft landing. He morphed it back into the ordinary van, parking it alongside his own and turning off the engine. Smiling, Semyon turned to face her.

"Easy," he noted with a shrug.

"Show off," Anna grumbled.

"One of my many charms."

He winked at her again.

"And your other promise?" he queried.

"Still not forgotten?" asked Anna, smirking.

"Never in a million years."

They got out of the van together, Anna drawing herself closer to Semyon's side as they approached the concrete flat block. They entered the building and got into the lift, climbing up to the stop and walking into their flat. They left their jackets on the back of the sofa before entering the bedroom, shutting the door behind them. However, Anna remembered something as Semyon reached for her.

"What did Vyacheslav say?" she asked.

"Not much," Semyon replied, nonplussed.

"He said he wanted to speak to Geser."

"Oh yes, about your father! I don't know, the boss sent me home."

"Did he say why?"

"I guess it was private."

Anna paused. "Maybe."

"I'll ask Slava in the morning."

Taking that as a sign to get on to other things, Anna didn't reply to that, but responded to Semyon's affections.

---

Back at the Gorsvet Headquarters, Vyacheslav and the boss were still talking about what had happened tonight. Geser had taken note of what Semyon had said about Yuri and he now needed to hear the hypothesis that Vyacheslav had formulated, along with his other evidence. As a psychic, Geser knew that his opinions were very accurate, and he was always good at finding the hidden information in any investigation.

"You had more news for me?" asked Geser.

"Yes," Vyacheslav replied.

"Can you trust it enough?"

"It was a little out of focus."

"Hmm. Still, let's hear it."

"I caught two brain wave patterns tonight that were wondering about elsewhere. They were of Nadya, the Dark Seer and Zavulon himself. They were not at the car park, but they were heading to where Vsevolod's flat was.

"Did you catch why?"

"Not to visit him."

"Anything else?"

"They went out of range quite quickly, possibly because Nadya detected me; I wasn't able to catch all of what they said because of that. But I got the impression that Zavulon wanted to try and get Nadya to listen out for Vsevolod. Now, if the Day Watch are assigning a Seer to Vsevolod, they could easily fool the Inquisition into believing it's for protection. I on the other hand, believe there are different motives involved."

"That's a solid theory."

"But a dangerous one."

"The Inquisition won't like to be fooled.

"Except I don't want to bring it up in case they then start getting confused and believe we are the ones doing the fooling. I know that's happened before, and I'd end up getting punished for doing the right thing… like many of us."

He glanced at the owl in the cupboard.

"It's too ambitious," he added.

"I understand completely," Geser replied.

"I'd like to investigate it."

"You are welcome to."

"Of course, I have to take into account the possibility that Zavulon is only looking out for Vsevolod's safety, with the Truce and all, and the agreement between the Light and Dark about his freedom. However, as Zavulon's enemy and an officer of the Light, I also have to think that he is trying something else."

"I'm sure the Inquisition will take that fairly."

"Do you think we should check out Nadya?"

"Don't worry, I'll send out Ignat."

"Is that wise? She'll see straight through him."

"I know, but you know how Ignat loves a pretty face."

"Nadya's like a… err…a dark version of Tiger Cub; a hard woman to break and very much a tomboy. There is no way that Ignat would be able to seduce a Seer, especially one as good and emotionless as her."

"I'll send him anyway."

"Is he getting board?"

"I think so."

"I'm sure Semyon will find his defeat amusing."

"And not just Semyon, I imagine."

"Naturally!"

Geser smiled. "Good night, Vyacheslav."

"Thank you, I could do with one."

Vyacheslav went to leave, but the boss called him back for one last word.

"Just something before you go," he began.

"Something forgotten sir?" queried the psychic.

"No, just something I believe you may have overlooked in my reasons for sending Ignat to investigate Nadya. I'm aware that if you follow Ignat's thoughts and listen in on his conversations, you might find what you're looking for."

Geser was normally like this; he never stated the obvious, but this time Vyacheslav knew what he meant.

"I see!" he laughed.

"I thought you might."

The boss sat back down at his desk.

"See you in the morning."

---

By the morning, Semyon and Anna arrived into work at the Gorsvet Headquarters, both still feeling the bliss from last night. Anna couldn't help feeling a little jealous that Semyon could fly her van better than she could, but at least he had a sense of ownership and knew it was not his vehicle. That was satisfying enough. Even more satisfying was Semyon being able to prove that his talents were not just in fighting for the Night Watch. However, what even managed to top that was the state in which Ignat walked in. Clearly he must have been feeling down about something because all of his shirt buttons were done right up to the collar.

"Why so glum Ignat?" asked Semyon with false concern.

"My latest job," Ignat grumbled.

"Did it fail then?"

"The boss sent me after Nadya."

"The Day Watch's best Seer?"

"Who else."

"I bet you went down well."

"She saw straight through me before I even started to talk to her, never mind flirt with her. She sat there and watched me, listening to me and waiting for me to work my magic. The instant I tried, she used a repulsion defence and shot me straight through a brick wall."

"Painful?"

"Very."

Ignat staggered off down the corridor, Semyon saving his laughter until he was out of earshot. Bear came up from behind, placing his Tiger Cub free hand on his comrade's shoulder.

"Every time you see him, mention bricks!" he noted.

"For the rest of his existence, comrade!" Semyon added.

They laughed, exiting the Gorsvet building at the back and standing under a shelter, its roof covered with snow. Semyon took out a pack of Red Square cigarettes, lighting up and leaning against the wall. Bear, Tiger Cub and Anna took one from him in turn, the two Shape Shifters surprised that the young Magician actually smoked.

"When did you take that up?" asked Tiger Cub.

"Semyon introduced me," Anna replied.

"Do you like to smoke then?"

"Where's the harm? Semyon taught me this nice little trick where you can remove all the tar from your lungs and freshen your breath up. He's also taught me how to remove alcohol toxins from your body, so I've no need to get drunk now."

Bear and Tiger Cub glanced at Semyon.

He shrugged. "She's under my tuition."

"What about Stingray?" Bear asked.

"He finished training a few years ago, remember."

Anna glanced at her partner. "Stingray?"

"Also known as Lev Mikhailovich Tupolev. He's at the Moscow State University studying physics with a few friends, but he is also a young Magician. Geser dumped him on me for reasons he will tell you if he wants to; it's very personal. He was 14 when I began training him and he finished at 19. He's not all that confident, but he's learnt a few things and it took him a while. He's nothing that special like some, but trust me, he's such a polite young lad. Loves to study, never be seen dead in a club, doesn't want a girl friend, you know the type."

"Very keen," Bear added. "Great with energy auras, too."

"Sounds a bit like me pre-Semyon," Anna noted.

"You'd get on with him well," Tiger Cub said with a smile.

"Does he work for the Night Watch?"

"His place is reserved when he's finished his course in 2 years," Semyon replied.

"Does he really need to carry on there?"

"Of course not, but he loves to learn. So we let him."

"I trust Ignat returned home?" asked a voice.

The four of them watched as a woman appeared in front of them out of the Gloom. She was rather pretty, slightly stocky and not a trace of a smile on her pale face. Her dark hair was cut short, she wore narrow, square framed glasses and was built rather like a javelin thrower. She was dressed in a long black skirt down to her Caterpillar boots, a baggy KGB T-shirt and a long red coat trimmed with black Cossack's furs.

"You could say that," Tiger Cub replied with a smirk.

"Good. Tell him I fixed the wall," the Cossack woman replied.

"Certainly Nadya."

"Thanks Lena."

"No, we need to thank you!" Bear added.

"I am ware that Ignat is not popular in your domain of the Night Watch."

"Your statement is correct."

"Why not remoralise him?"

"He resists," Semyon replied. "I've tried."

Nadya shook her head. "What came over your boss?"

"What do you mean?"

"He knew Ignat would fail."

"He had his reasons," cut in another voice.

Vyacheslav joined them outside in his favourite long leather coat, screwing the cap back on his Soviet Army flask. Anton came in behind him, rubbing his tired eyes and suppressing a massive yawn that may have been enough to blow away a metre high black vortex.

"Mr. Berezkev," Nadya greeted, flatly.

"Why are you here?" asked Vyacheslav.

"A warning to keep Ignat away from me."

"Yes, he didn't look too good when I saw him."

"Surely Boris Ignatovich knows he'll have no effect on me like so many weak minded girls."

"Believe it or not, that was not his intention."

Nadya's eyes flashed dangerously.

"He was a trap," Vyacheslav continued. "I had tapped into Ignat and used him to figure out what Zavulon sent you to do last night. You went to tap into Vsevolod, didn't you? Why?"

A small smirk touched Nadya's emotionless features.

"Clever Vyacheslav," she noted, slyly.

"What was your purpose there?" Vyacheslav asked.

She sighed and closed her eyes, peering into the Gloom to give the message Zavulon had given to her.

"An agreement was signed between the Lord of Light and the General of Darkness," she began. "Vsevolod was to be de-initiated from the Day Watch and to remain a Dark Other living and working alone. The agreement stands that he may not be troubled by either side; he is to be guided to pursue a regain in humanity by the Night Watch, but observed by the Day Watch to make sure he cannot switch sides."

She opened her eyes again.

"I am acting under the Truce."

"Clearly you are," Vyacheslav replied. "My apologies."

"Light Others, you will do well to stay out of my business."

"But Vsevolod is my father," Anna protested.

"And he shall not be harmed by me."

Nadya observed Anna respectfully.

"I am not licensed for that," she added.

"Indeed not," Semyon replied. "I licensed the Nadya the Dark Seer to look out for protected and young Dark Others. And also to make sure that no uninitiated Other is forced to turn either way. As for her other purpose, that is also to make sure no Dark Others acts outside the Truce."

"I respect your choice Anna," Nadya told her.

"Sadly your boss doesn't," Semyon pointed out.

"My boss resents Vsevolod's decision, yes."

"Anna has now become a very powerful Light Magician."

"Any Seer can respect that."

"Your friend Alisa doesn't either."

Nadya's expression turned sour.

"Friend is a strong word, Semyon Pavlovich," she said acidly.

"Indeed it is."

"My time here is up."

"I'll tell Ignat about the wall," Tiger Cub added.

"Do not forgot to Tiger Cub."

Nadya bowed her head politely and vanished into the Gloom, no doubt returning to her ground floor apartment in central Moscow. Vyacheslav sighed and leaned against the wall, steeling a cigarette from Semyon. Anna wasn't sure, but she got the slight impression that Vyacheslav's relationship with the Dark Seer Nadya wasn't always just professional. Perhaps Semyon would know.

"She's a Dark Other?" Anna queried instead.

"Difficult to believe isn't it?" Vyacheslav replied.

"Why is she so different?"

"Nadya's been around for 300 years now and she has seen many visions in her not so happy life. But do not make the mistake to believe her visions have softened her; it's quite the opposite. She hates the corruption in life and having worked hard for her beloved KGB, she finds that there needs to be a person to keep order. So she came willingly to our boss and got a licence off Semyon to make sure not Other is forced to good or evil."

"You know a lot about her."

"Her story is… interesting."

Semyon nudged Anna, his expression saying it all.

"She's so polite as well," Anna added.

"She's very strict with the Truce," Tiger Cub replied.

"That I can see."

"If it weren't for her, two thirds of Others on this planet would be dark, and that may include my former pupil Stingray," Semyon noted. "Zavulon has a tendency to try and cheat the rules, bending them his way a little; nothing he admits of course, but Geser knows the truth."

"Can we trust her?" Anna asked.

"Of course, no reason why not."

"I mean about what she said about Vsevolod."

"Oh I have no reason to doubt she'd telling the truth," Vyacheslav cut in. "I imagine that Nadya has every intention on looking out for Vsevolod to make sure we don't turn him to the Light, or the Dark don't hurt him. But I imagine also that was what Zavulon led her to believe she was doing. Only three known Magicians have fooled her; Geser, Zavulon and Semyon."

"Certainly not Ignat," Bear laughed.

"He's too vulnerable."

"But what about Vsevolod?" Anna asked.

"Nadya will look out for him and feed Zavulon with any information he desires. As for what he wants with Vsevolod, I have no idea. But we're all keeping an eye out for him, especially Anton and me. Geser is also on his guard."

They were soon interrupted as Anatoly rushed in.

"Geser needs to see you all!" he exclaimed.

"What is it?" Anton asked.

"Something's come up; he has Ignat and Stingray with him."

"Lev?" Semyon queried.

"Yeah; it's really urgent!"

Looking amongst each other, the six of them left with Anatoly back inside the Gorsvet building after putting out their cigarettes in the snow. They climbed up a small flight of stairs and down the narrow passageway into the analytical department, feeling the cool air conditioning used to keep the computers at a healthy operating temperature.

"They're here boss," Anatoly noted.

Geser turned to face the team, Ignat and Stingray looking around from behind him. The young Stingray looked typical for a Russian student of his age; messy black hair, bits of stubble that stuck out longer than the rest, a slight case of acne, curious wide brown eyes and an absent smile.

"Stingray and Ignat are here to join you," Geser stated.

"Hello Semyon Pavlovich," Stingray greeted politely.

"Lev, what are you doing here?" Semyon asked.

"I've got a fortnight off; Boris Ignatovich called my tutor and managed to convince them to give the entire physics department a two week holiday. Apparently this little mission is good enough that we need all the field operatives we can get."

"I bet that pleased Kostya," Anton smirked.

"Hell yeah, you know what he's like!"

"What's all this about?" queried Bear.

"This old office block down here," Geser began.

He glanced over to Anatoly, who brought up the street map.

"We've got some of our operatives there at the moment overlooking things," the boss continued. "There are some Dark Others holding up there; the Vampire Boris, the Shape Shifters Wolf and Fox, and also the Shifting Magician Falcon."

"Hmm, Vladimir," Semyon noted. "Easy to handle."

"What are they doing there?" Vyacheslav asked.

Geser sighed. "They're holding Vsevolod Kepalenko hostage in the building, threatening to reinitiate him using Boris. That's a clever trick, seeing as Boris is licensed, but it's just his methods aren't very nice. The contract sighed for Vsevolod states clearly that he is not to be bothered by either side, so Zavulon must be using someone to keep us off our guard."

"Nadya."

"Quite."

"What do we do sir?" Anton asked.

"We first need to get inside; Vladimir was able to lock the door from within the Gloom, so we need people to get through using the Second Level. Semyon, that's what I'll need you to do."

"Yuri's been teaching Volodya a few tricks," Semyon noted.

"You know Vladimir?" asked Anna.

"Yeah; crap Magician, his best trick is to change into a falcon."

"Everyone's a crap Magician to you," Bear added.

"Can Anna use the Second Level?" Geser cut in.

"Not yet," Semyon replied. "But I can teach her."

"Excellent. I want this operation to run smoothly, so please no hiccups, especially you Anton. I don't want any injuries, and I certainly don't want anyone dead; on either side! Is that perfectly clear?"

"Yes sir," they noted simultaneously.

"But what do you need me for?" asked Ignat.

"In case Alisa shows up."

"I see."

Bear rolled his eyes skyward.

"Can you all get there?" Geser asked.

"We're a little tight for van space," Semyon stated.

"Not to worry," Tiger Cub cut in. "Bear and I can get there without a van, I have my own mode of transport. See you down there!"

Waving cheerfully and taking Bear's hand, Tiger Cub left the room in a hurry and practically leapt down the staircase. She was beginning to feel the excitement of a good mission, much like the rest of them.

"Good," Geser continued. "Now it's simple. Semyon, you can drive Anton and Vyacheslav. Anna, you can drive Stinger and Ignat, but be careful, don't take to the skies in broad daylight!"

"Why are the Dark Ones out then?" Anna queried. "In daylight?"

"Because it's the Day Watch who are doing this."

"I see, and they're active during the day."

"Yes, like Vsevolod is now; and us, unfortunately.

"I'll get the hang of all this soon."

"Don't worry," Stingray noted. "It took me years to figure it all out!"


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

It was unusual for the Dark Others to do this kind of things during the day; the Night Watch worked to catch them at night, but then again, the Day Watch were in operation during the day and Vsevolod was asleep at night. The six of them, now minus Bear and Tiger Cub, crowded around the vans. Semyon climbed into his, Anton and Vyacheslav getting in next to him. Anna sighed and turned back to her van and coming face to face with Ignat.

"I'm stuck with you then," she noted acidly.

"I'm under orders to behave," Ignat replied.

"Good. Do you get travel sick?"

"Thankfully not."

"Hmm, pity."

She turned to Stingray.

"Could you kindly sit in the middle please," she told him.

The young Magician laughed. "Why of course!"

Anna climbed into her van on the driver's side, Stingray sitting in the middle passenger seat between her and Ignat. She started up the engine, looking over to Semyon's van, but he was still taking to Vyacheslav.

"You're Semyon's student," Stingray noted.

"Yeah, he's a good tutor," Anna replied.

"And a bit more than that too, right?"

Anna turned to look at Stingray. "Right."

He burst out laughing, leaning back into his seat,

"What's so funny?" queried Anna, a little nonplussed.

"Sorry," Stingray apologised. "It's just a bit amusing that's all. While you hung about with your family a bit before you saw the fireworks with him, Semyon came to my flat to catch up a bit. You know; over a glass of vodka, checking if I could still do all the things he taught me, seeing how my course is going. It's just that every time he talked about you, he blushed! It's very funny."

"Did he now?"

"He really likes you."

"I know, I'm in love with him."

"When I join the Night Watch properly, they're going to use me to track energies and back up the front liners. I keep looking at Semyon's and every time he talks about you, he literally glows like a light bulb! It's rather amusing. A powerful Magician like that and you can make him weak at the knees!"

"How nice," Ignat added.

Anna noticed the rather painful smile on his handsome face; he really did hate to think that some women never fell for him. She glanced out of the window and caught Semyon's thumbs up signal, driving off after him. The van accelerated from zero to 120km/h very quickly, the sudden burst of speed pushing them back into their seats. Anna turned a sharp corner, matching speed and path with the van in front.

"You drive like Semyon," Stingray observed.

"He did teach me," Anna replied.

"Though he's better than this."

Anna laughed. "Don't I know!"

She was suddenly distracted by a sudden noise outside to her left. Trusting herself to keep her eyes off the road and still concentrate without crashing into the back of Semyon, she wound her window down. Next to them, travelling at the same speed was Tiger Cub and Bear on a motorbike.

"Lena!" Anna called. "Tiger Cub!"

She glanced at her briefly and waved cheerfully.

"Since when did you have that?" asked Anna.

"A while!" Tiger Cub replied.

"See you at the tower block," Bear added.

Anna wound her window back up again as Tiger Cub drove off ahead and passed Semyon's van. She regained her concentration on the road again, putting both hands on the steering wheel; that felt more comfortable.

"I never knew Tiger Cub had a bike," she noted.

"She loves it!" Stingray replied, grinning.

"Can Semyon ride motorbikes."

"Oh yeah; Tiger Cub gets annoyed with him for borrowing it."

"I'll love to experience that some day."

"Semyon used to ride me to college on it some yeas back when I was 16. Then Tiger Cub got irritated and she turned up on my doorstep instead; Semyon only took me in the van after that."

"I bet you were popular."

"That's how I got to know Kostya."

"The Vampire?"

"Yeah, but he's a nice guy."

Anna swerved in behind Semyon to avoid a cement mixer. Travelling at about 150km/h on a Moscow city road was more difficult than it sounded. But Anna had a funny idea that Semyon was making sure she stayed right behind him. Eventually, they parked up alongside Tiger Cub's motorbike, the two shape shifters waiting for them and discarding their helmets.

"Great wheels Lena," Anna noted.

"When Semyon stops pinching them," Tiger Cub stated.

"That is rather rude Semyon."

The Magician climbed out of his van.

"Two against one eh?" he asked. "That's an unfair advantage."

Anna could feel the energy all about them of the Night Watch officers, but no one was actually here. She could see individual drivers standing with their vans, but they couldn't give off al that energy alone. Understanding, she followed her comrades as they slipped into the Gloom and the rest of the Watch appeared. Here, the vans were shining search lights at the tower block, a pair of guards standing outside the stop intruders, both in the Gloom and the human world. Vyacheslav and Semyon lead the way, walking up to the doors and greeting the guards.

"Hey Igor," Vyacheslav spoke.

"Vyacheslav Berezkev," the guard nodded.

"Geser sent us."

"Ah yes, he said you were coming."

"He tells us this door is closed from the Gloom."

"Yes; no one here dares go any deeper to open it."

"Fortunately, two of ours will with a third to keep an eye out."

Vyacheslav stepped aside and allowed Semyon and Anton to come forwards, Anna following them nervously. Anton lit his torch and pressed it against the entrance door; the light beam was pushed against it but it reflected off as if it were a mirror. The door didn't want to budge. He struggled to see beyond it, but he could faintly make out the forms of two wolves standing guard.

"Dark Shape Shifters behind," he stated.

"Then we have a fight on our hands," noted Semyon.

He turned to Anna and held her by the shoulders.

"You need to learn how to summon the Gloom from within the Gloom," he explained. "That's the only way we can get through that door. From there, we can immobilise the guards and let the team in. Understand?"

"I think so," Anna replied.

"Good. It's just like entering the Gloom normally, but with one important difference, besides that you are already inside. The deeper you go in, the more energy it can drain, so you really need to concentrate on releasing it gradually. Do not let the guards try and force you in any deeper than the Second Level; the last time I went in that far, I nearly didn't come back. Alright?"

She nodded. "I'll give it a go."

Semyon kissed her. "If you need to come out, retreat back."

"But what about you?"

"I'm better train and strong enough to handle it."

Anna really hoped he was. They approached the door, Semyon peering deeper into the Gloom. Anna took his hand and followed him as they were submerged into the Second Level. The colourless world vanished and was replaced by a thick, swirling grey fog that was difficult to see through. There was hardly any sound here except the calm, deep breathing of Semyon beside her. They pushed the door open and stepped into the tower block, Anton moving into the deep Gloom behind them and clearing the protection on the door. Behind them, they felt the energies of the rest of the team enter via the higher levels.

"We should come out," Anton warned.

"Agreed," Semyon added. "It's very oppressive in here."

But they were cut off as two Shape Shifters in the form of wolves standing guard entered the Second Level after them, growling. Anna backed off a little, glancing at Anton who was struggling to maintain his energy, the grey fog closing in on him.

"Leave Anton!" Semyon ordered.

"Can you two handle it?" Anton queried.

"Go!"

Anton pulled himself away, disappearing back to the First Level. The fog that had been swirling about Anton was avoiding Semyon, Anna also noticing that it tried to come near her, but something was stopping it. It was working. Anna and Semyon turned to face the two wolves, both of them switching on their torches. The beams of light cut through the fog and forced it to shrink back, the bright white light shining on the faces of the two, salivating guards.

"Retreat to the First Level," Semyon ordered.

"We have orders to stop you," one guard snarled.

"By who? Whom do you serve?"

"Evgeniy is our master."

"No surprises there," Anna added.

The second guard jumped out of the darkness at Semyon, who was caught unprepared by such a strong show of energy this deep in the Gloom. His torch dropped to the floor, blue flames spurting out of it as he and the wolf vanished into the fog. Anna turned back and came face to face with the remaining guardian.

"Surrender?" he snarled.

"Never," she hissed.

As quick as a flash, she picked up Semyon's torch and aimed it at the guard. With a whimper, he flinched back from the flames, sparks flying angrily as the Dark Shape Shifter reacted to the light. Anna was no longer worrying about the Second Level of the Gloom; she was strong enough to control her energy well enough to fight the Day Watch guard. The wolf got to his feet, now in human form as his energy was lost; a short, stocky man with a bald head and one blind eye. His upper lip curled back in a venomous snarl, he withdrawing his belt and unfurling it into a long sword with a curved tip.

Anna loaded the search light, the bright beam glowing even brighter and pushed back more fog. The Shape Shifter slashed his swore through the air, cutting through the beam of light and reflecting some of the scattered rays at the wall. Anna ducked down under the recoiling blade, lifting off the ground and kicking the weapon out of the Dark One's hand. He jumped back, his hand burnt from the light, his eyes closed as Anna shined the search light beam in his face. The Shape Shifter ducked under it in momentary panic and grasped hold of the torch, the bright beam narrowly missing the top of his head. Anna struggled against him, feeling the Gloom fog creeping up on her as it tried to take her.

"I'll take you with me!" the Shape Shifter snarled.

"I'm not so easy," Anna replied.

She drew in electrical energy from the torch, time almost drawing to a complete halt as all the surrounding electrons came to her. She released the energy, the explosion of light scattering the Gloom fog and momentarily raising her and the Dark One to a high level between the First and Second. The other Night Watch officers glimpsed the shadowy form of Anna amidst the burst of light. The Shape Shifter was thrown back in the explosion, his dead body lying crumpled and burnt in the corner of the far wall. Anton looked back to Anna, who was now glowing ambiently with all of her energy protecting her from the Gloom.

"What the…" he trailed off.

"I'll be back," Anna replied.

"Where are you going?"

"I need to get Semyon."

Anna vanished back into the Second Level, shining her search light all around but Semyon was not there. Holding her breath, she looked deeper into the Gloom and immersed herself into the Third Level; the one Semyon was so afraid of. This world was so powerfully oppressive and was pitch black; no fog, just a thick wall of nothingness. Her torch beam only lit a small circle of floor at her feet.

"Semyon!" she called.

There was no answer and her voice echoed all around, breaking the silence. She slowly walked around, beginning to feel heavy as the Gloom drained her energy; but she need to find Semyon. That thought seemed to release the pressure a little, though she wouldn't last much longer. Eventually, she came across Semyon who was lying sprawled out on the floor, his eyes closed and his breathing slow. Dashing over to him, Anna crouched down besides him, feeding him with a little light through her fingertips to protect him. The sole remaining guardian appeared above Semyon, his energy now depleted too much to regain his human form. And Anna did not pity him; this evil bastard would be lost forever.

"I will take him!" the Wolf wheezed.

"Never," Anna said, her voice quite and dangerous.

"I will not go alone…"

"You will!"

She shouted the words at him, raising her search light and putting energy back into it. The beam of light intensified as the Wolf howled in pain, vanishing back into the darkness and disappearing into the Gloom forever. Semyon opened his eyes briefly, feeding off the bright light. Anna set the torch down and bent over him, kissing him and sharing enough energy with him to safely bring them back up to the First Level. The colourless reality came back and it now seemed so bright and welcoming. The Gloom had consumed a victim today and it was full of energy; no one else would be in danger today in the higher levels.

"Bloody hell!" Anton exclaimed.

"Are you alright?" Bear asked.

Semyon glanced up at the other Night Watch officers, reaching up and rubbing his eyes. He slowly sat up, Anna supporting him before he leaned against her, she holding his shoulders.

"Semyon?" Tiger Cub queried.

"I'm alright," he replied.

"Are you sure, you went in very deep."

Semyon turned round and looked at Anna.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"I'm fine," Anna replied.

She gently stroking his hair, smiling.

"What about the guards?" asked Semyon.

"I killed the first before he killed me," she explained. "I went into the Third Level after you and protected you from the second. I forced him into the Gloom forever and then helped you escape. If I'd have taken any longer, I fear I might have lost you."

"The Inquisition won't like this."

"Stuff them; I don't care who I have to kill to save the life of my lover."

Anna got to her feet, Tiger Cub moving over and assisting her to help Semyon stand up. They allowed him to remain standing freely, both satisfied at the Magician's quick recovery. Semyon then reached for Anna and took her by the shoulders, observing her thoroughly before smiling.

"You are fine!" he proclaimed.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Anna asked.

"You went into the Third Level."

"I had to save you."

"Anna, not even I can go in deep for so long."

"I'm not sure if I could do it again; I did it for you."

"And with no training; I'm impressed!"

"You taught me how to go as deep as the Second Level; I knew all I needed was a little more spare energy as the Gloom drained more from me. The extra energy came from my desire to save you."

"That's enough."

The other Night Watch officers fussed over Anna and Semyon, making completely certain that they were alright. Stingray was overjoyed at the way which Anna had killed the evil Dark Shape Shifter.

"Geser has shielded our presence from above," Stingray confirmed.

"So, he's contacting you Lev," Vyacheslav noted.

Stingray shrugged. "The boss knows I'm easily confused."

"Bless you Stingray!" Tiger Cub laughed.

She ruffled his hair affectionately as they walked over to the staircase; the lift was now out of order as expected for an office block up for rent. The state of disrepair the old building was in was even enough to stop the lift in the Gloom from working. Before Anna followed her comrades, she felt a hand on her shoulder, quickly turning round to end up facing Ignat.

"That was a brave thing you did," he noted.

She didn't really know how to reply to that.

"Even the boss finds it hard to sustain deep levels of the Gloom for long."

"I'd do anything for Semyon," Anna replied, firmly.

"You must really love him."

"I do."

"Then I accept defeat."

"Both to Semyon and Bear?"

"Yes, I guess you're right."

"Good, I'm glad to hear that's sorted."

Anna and Ignat followed their comrades, moving in behind Semyon for security. Clearly Stingray was also feeling insecure, for he was also hovering around his former tutor. But everyone was suddenly feeling tense about this; as if something wasn't quite right, and it had already started off quite nasty. Vyacheslav stopped them outside where he could feel the thoughts of some of the people.

"In there," he whispered.

"Is it all of them?" asked Semyon.

"No; Boris, Evgeniy and Bogdan."

"What about Vladimir and Vsevolod?"

"They're not in there."

"Maybe they're not in the Gloom," suggested Tiger Cub.

"No; they're simply not in this room."

"Then we nee to find them."

"Subtly; Falcon is hiding somewhere. Thankfully, this place is electrically wired from top to bottom. First the lift shaft, then the lights, the heating, the air conditioning and the computer terminals and finally the backup generator. Anna, do you think you can use the electron pathways to search for your father?"

"I think so," Anna replied.

"Then that's how we'll find him."

Vyacheslav tested the door with his torch, sensing that it was only locked within the human reality; that meant no more long Gloom journeys. He stepped aside, Semyon casting one of his favourite spells and blasting the door of its hinges. Inside, Boris flinched at the sound, cowering back against the wall. The Night Watch officers ran in, aiming their UV lights all over the place. Wolf was standing there in human form, sunglasses protecting his dark eyes. The young man standing next to him had spiky red hair, big round sunglasses, a small red moustache and a spiky collar around his neck. A smile rose to Wolf's face.

"A murder and once forced into the Gloom," he noted.

He turned to Anna. "The Inquisition will love you."

"Leave her out of this," Vyacheslav snarled. "Your men tried to force Semyon into the Gloom, no doubt something Yuri wanted them to do. Anna had the right to protected him and she did so. No one stands and lets a fellow officer fall into the Gloom like that, especially a loved one."

"Zavulon sees it differently."

"Then he'll let that known to Geser."

"What have you done with Vsevolod?" Anton asked.

"Reinitiated him."

"Don't lie!"

"We've hidden him from you."

"You're wrong to deceive Nadya," Vyacheslav snarled.

"What's she to you?"

"She cares about justice."

Fox laughed. "Are the rumours true then Berezkev?"

"What rumours?"

"About you and Nadya…"

"She is Dark Vyacheslav," Wolf cut in.

"At least she's not bullying Vsevolod," Vyacheslav growled.

"And we are?"

"Yes!"

Anna caught Tiger Cub's glance and turned away from them, Semyon slipping an arm about her shoulders as though to comfort her. That action was only taken as a sign of sentiment by the three Day Watch officers, so it was ignored. Anna followed the lighting cables out of the room and deep into the mains, travelling up each floor using the lift shaft wiring.

"Can you see him?" asked Semyon's voice in her head.

"Not yet," she replied.

She had followed the wires up to the seventh floor, beginning to feel a different mood up here. There were still a few more floors to go. Strange, why was Yuri running up the stairs so fast?"

"Is he in this building?" Vyacheslav asked.

"Find him yourself," Wolf replied, acidly.

"That's what you're here for, isn't it?" Fox added.

"You're not honouring the agreement made between your boss and ours," Anton replied. "You are supposed to leave him alone and allow him to live alone with no fear from either side. We have right to be here because it is our job to protect him from Zavulon."

"This is not about Vsevolod.2

Anton paused. "Then who?"

"We won't hurt him," Wolf added.

"Then why hold him hostage?" asked Tiger Cub.

"Because you're trying to get us into trouble!" Stingray backed her up. "You made sure Anna got into a situation worthy of a punishment. No you're trying to accuse us of trying to turn Vsevolod to the Light or something. But you know we cannot do that; Dark Others can never turn towards the Light, only towards humanity."

"Sound reasoning Tupolev," Wolf commented.

"That's why he's here," Vyacheslav replied.

"But I'm afraid he is quite wrong."

Anna was ignoring the conversation, letting them talk while she searched the building for her father. Yuri had teleported out of the building with an unconscious and, due to that, an unnameable entity, leaving Falcon behind. Now something was really wrong. The Shifting Dark Magician was doing something. Why could she smell fire?

"Are you alight?" Semyon's voice asked.

She didn't reply.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't…" she trailed off.

She felt heat building up now in Falcon's hands. A time spell was cast; he turned into the bird of prey he commonly used and flew from the open window. She could smell burning; smoke filtered along the wires and disturbed the electrons she was using, followed by fire.

"Get out now!" Anna yelled out loud.

From high up in the office block, there was an explosion and a surge of flames. It was an arson attack planned by Falcon and the Day Watch. Hurriedly, Wolf and Fox changed into their animal forms and exited the Gloom, leaving the room behind and forgetting about Boris. The Night Watch officers looked around, Anton glancing out of the window and watching as debris showered onto the Gorsvet vans.

"We need to get out," he observed.

"You go," Semyon ordered.

"What about you?" asked Anna, concerned.

"I'll put a shield around the top of the building while the field operators put out the fire. Just to stop the building from falling on top of their heads."

The other officers left, Semyon staring at Anna.

"Go now!" he shouted.

There was an explosion and Anna left after Stingray, still worrying about Semyon who remained behind. The Magician saw back into the human world, visualising how bad the flames were. It wasn't as bad as it was in the Gloom but the Night Watch only needed to put the fire out in the world of the Others. Carefully, making sure the floors above him were safe, Semyon cast a strong shielding spell to hold up the damaged floors. He turned to leave, spotting Boris trying to escape unnoticed.

"No you don't!" he growled.

Outside, Anna had ran from the burning building and passed the swarm of Night Watch officers astride the emergency vans. She stopped by her own truck, turning back to stare at the building while Anton and Vyacheslav caught up. She leaned against her yellow van and looked out for Semyon, but he was no where in sight.

"They all got away!" Anton proclaimed.

"What is Zavulon playing at?" added Bear, angrily.

"Where's Semyon?" Anna asked.

The others stopped talking and looked around, but Semyon still hadn't joined them. How long was he going to take? There was an explosion from one of the upper floors of the office block, several chunks of burning debris being hurled onto the streets below. A clear reaction of the Magicians trying to put out the magical fire. A cold spot suddenly hit Anna inside' had something gone wrong with Semyon's Spellcasting?

"He must still be inside!" Anna exclaimed.

"What is that idiot doing?" Vyacheslav questioned.

"I have to get him."

She ran off before Anton could stop her.

"Anna don't!" he called after her.

"What is she doing?" Bear sounded amazed.

"Hurting herself most likely."

"Leave her," Tiger Cub warned.

"Are you insane?" Stingray queried.

"She loves Semyon; she wont leave him behind."

"You remember at the door," Ignat added.

Anna ran back across the road, pushing passed the other Night Watch agents who were there to prevent the fire spreading beyond the Gloom. The orange glow looked quite surreal against the colourless backdrop of the gloomy sky. The officers tried to call her back, but she ignored them; there was no way she'd let Semyon remain behind in this building.

"Semyon!" she called into the Gloom.

She ran back into the building through the door they'd unlocked earlier on. Looking around, she saw Semyon in the foyer holding his torch at the Vampire Boris, who was lying on the floor.

"Semyon!" she cried.

He turned to face her.

"What are you doing?" he asked her.

"Get out of here!" she shouted.

"I need to arrest this insane man and put him up for execution."

"Let the other Magicians deal with him."

"But he could get away…"

"I don't care Semyon!"

There was another explosion several floors above the, more debris raining down to the street outside. Semyon ignored the dust that was dislodged from the ceiling and turned back to face Boris, who flinched away from the torchlight. Anna ran over to him and turned him round to face her, taking his head in her hands.

"No Semyon!" she exclaimed. "It's too unstable."

"But I've put up a shield," Semyon explained.

"Only a temporary one! It's not worth it, Semyon."

He looked into her eyes, seeing the fear.

"I can't loose you!" she continued. "You mean too much to me."

Semyon closed his eyes and wrapped his arms about her, holding her against him in a rough embrace. There was a second explosion and a ceiling tile was cracker, the hard chunks falling on top of Boris and knocking him unconscious. Like that, he only had a few minutes to go before the Gloom took him. That would be a fitting punishment for all of his crimes.

"I'm sorry Anna," Semyon told her gently.

"Just get out of here," she ordered.

He picked her up in his arms and carried her out of the building, jogging across the road with her. The fire really was under control, but the Gloom was also aiding in crushing the building at the same time. That was why the ceilings were all beginning to crack. Semyon went over to his van, Anna still in his arms. He deposited her besides it, released her, took her face in his hands and kissed her roughly. She pulled away from him, stroking his stubbly cheek.

"Don't do that again," Anna snapped.

"I won't," he replied.

"You can't get killed Semyon!"

"I know, I know! I've been told that many times."

"I love Semyon. I need to know you're safe."

He brushed back some of her black hair.

"Then don't let me out of your sight."

He smiled, taking off her sunglasses and slipping them into her jacket pocket. The entire team shifted out of the Gloom, only one or two of the other Night Watch field operatives actually in the human reality with the vans. They were making sure humans did not come to close to the office block. Here, you could no longer see the fire, only damage apparently caused by neglect. The truth lay within the Gloom.

"Let's tell Geser the bad news," Anton stated.

"Oh he'll love this," Vyacheslav shook his head.

"He'll know it's not our fault right?" asked Anna.

Ignat sighed. "Hopefully."

"Hmm, but you know the boss," Anton added.

Anna climbed back into her yellow Gorsvet truck, Stingray and Ignat joining her in the passenger seat. She watched as Tiger Cub and Bear hopped onto the motorbike and Semyon, Vyacheslav and Anton got into the other van. It was hardly their fault; neither Anton nor Vyacheslav could predict the arson attack. She sighed and followed Tiger Cub on her motorbike, Semyon following her back to Gorsvet. Hopefully Geser could see that too.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

There was an air of uncertainty as the team climbed the stairs to the Gorsvet office. No one knew whether Geser would be in a good mood or a bad mood. The boss's emotions always varied from one day to the next; one day he'd be the best guy in the Watch to talk to and the next, he'd be the last man you'd want to look at. They all wondered what mood he would be in now and what reaction they'd receive when they turned up at his office. However, if they were expecting anything at all, they certainly weren't expecting what they saw when they arrived.

Geser was not alone in his office. With him were Zavulon, Wolf and Nadya of the Night Watch followed by another man no one had seen before. Anna felt her stomach clench; he was from the Inquisition. Geser looked grave and silently furious; what was he thinking? Did he believe that some sort of punishment was necessary? Semyon instantly moved to Anna's side and held her hand.

"The accused must stand alone," the man ordered.

"Maxim Ivanovich please," Semyon protested.

"You know the procedure, Semyon Pavlovich."

"While she is under my tuition and protection, I must stay with her at all times to make sure she stands a fair trial. After all, it is up to me that I teach her how we work in the Night Watch. And she needs protection against him."

Semyon glared harshly at Zavulon.

Maxim sighed. "Permission granted, Semyon Pavlovich."

Geser nodded approvingly at Semyon, who sighed with relief. The other Night Watch officers were forced to stand to one side, all of them with concerned expressions on their faces. None of them were expecting things to go this far. Anna took one glance at the smug expression on Wolf's face; what had he claimed?

"The accused is Light Magician Anna Vsevolovna Kepalenko of the Night Watch," Maxim proceeded. "She is charged with two murders; one by use of magic and the other forcing an officer of the Day Watch into the Gloom forever. Do you plead guilt of this crime, Anna Vsevolovna?"

"I did it yes," Anna replied. "But it was no crime."

"She should leave the Watch!" Wolf exclaimed.

"I agree it was merciless killing," Zavulon added, calmly.

"You bastard!" Semyon growled.

"Semyon Pavlovich," Nadya cut in, sternly.

She turned back to her boss.

"No Zavulon," she began. "As licensed by the Night Watch, it is my duty here to ensure that Anna Vsevolovna receives a fair trial by the justice of the Truce. We have already heard Evgeniy Yaromirovich's version of the story; a perspective not witness to the event and even shielded by Lord Geser from the Night Watch officers. Anna Vsevolovna's views must be heard."

"You forget your place Nadya," Zavulon snarled.

"I am doing my job. It's about time you did your properly."

"she was treading on thin ice at the moment, but under the watch of the Inquisition, he could do nothing to her. Even if Zavulon wanted the punishment, her own licence and loyalty to the Truce would deny it if Anna was proved innocent. Anna had just been given a hope to reduce the punishment by a respectful enemy. A Dark Other maybe, but one who played by the rules.

Maxim nodded. "Go ahead, Anna Vsevolovna."

"It was a simple plan," Anna explained. "Semyon and I entered the Second Level of the Gloom to unlock the door protected by the two Day Watch guardians, allowing our comrades to proceed in the First Level. The two Shape Shifters met us there, one forcing Semyon deeper into the Third Level and the other focussing on me. I had to kill him before he forced me deeper and left my to be taken by the Gloom. Then I went after Semyon, who was being taken himself, so I forced the second wolf into the Gloom forever and used my remaining energy to free Semyon."

"Why is it so important to save his life?"

"Because he's a comrade in the Night Watch."

"Is that enough? Enough to commit murder?"

Anna paused a little. "I'm in love with him, sir."

"And does that also excuse your actions?"

Anna went to reply, but Ignat cut in.

"I think it does," he noted.

"You may not speak out of turn," Maxim snapped.

"Let him speak Maxim Ivanovich," Nadya cut in. "The other officers of the Night Watch present here are witness to the event, even though they were in higher levels of the Gloom. If Ignat has any extra detail to add into this trial, then please allow him to speak his views."

She was even able to forget her dislike of Ignat.

"Permission to speak," Maxim agreed.

So far, it appeared the Day Watch had the upper hand.

"In your accusation of Anna Vsevolovna, you are forgetting one important thing," Ignat began. "The Day Watch were holding Vsevolod Kepalenko, Anna's father, captive and then they used two agents to attack Semyon and attempt to kill him. Does that evil deed not entitle the Night Watch to do a good deed, as agreed by the Truce?"

"So you are saying the murders were a good deed?"

Zavulon smirked.

"No," Ignat continued. "I am saying her rescue of Semyon was a good deed."

"That is true," Maxim replied.

"She was protecting, not only a fellow officer of the Light from a fate worse than death, but the man she loves. Love is a power of the Light Maxim Ivanovich, and Light is what Anna feeds on, like all of us here in the Night Watch. The choice was either not kill the Dark Others and let her tutor, protector and lover fall victim of the Gloom, or save his life and kill the enemy. In her situation, only one decision was good, and that was to kill the Dark Shape Shifters."

"Semyon would have been a casualty of war."

"And the guardians were not?"

Maxim paused. "Indeed they were."

"Semyon is a player we can not afford to loose."

"His power is one of greatness in your Watch, yes."

"And is therefore protected by Geser himself against Dark Magicians."

"Hmm, Zavulon failed to mention that."

"But I cannot protect anyone myself!" Zavulon shouted.

"You have Zavulon, you protect Dar Witch Alisa," Maxim snapped.

"You cannot try me for murder," Anna began. "The Dark Shape Shifters made the first move to stop us from rescuing their hostage. They were the ones who attempted murder; against Semyon!"

"You see," Ignat added. "It is the Dark who are guilty."

"Zavulon failed to mention that, too," Maxim replied.

"I was not a witness!" the Dark Magician blurted out.

"Then your conviction cannot be justified!" Geser shouted, angrily. "You would have had Anna given up to the Day Watch, wouldn't you? This is all part of your little scheme involving the captive Vsevolod, isn't it?"

Zavulon appeared to shrink back.

"Speak for yourself!" Maxim ordered.

Suddenly, the Night Watch had the upper hand.

"We had no witnesses," Zavulon replied.

"Then you cannot justify Anna is guilty," Maxim responded.

"All of the Dark witnesses were killed!"

"I was blocked out by Geser," Wolf agreed.

"In no part to protect Anna from punishment by the Inquisition," Geser explained. "No one had any intention in killing anyone; but Anna is right, it was the Dark that made the first aggressive move. My operatives had the right to defend themselves. I was covering my agents from detection so they could safely rescue the hostage Vsevolod Kepalenko without any complications."

"He is nothing to do with you!" Zavulon snarled.

"On the contrary, he is."

"He is Dark! A Vampire."

"And father of a Light Magician."

"That is her choice…"

"He's uninitiated by our word of agreement…"

"Enough!" Maxim exclaimed.

His words filled the entire room, silencing Geser and Zavulon.

"This is getting out of hand," he continued. "I have decided that Anna Vsevolovna has committed no crime against the Dark. Her only crime is being hopelessly in love with a comrade, if you can call that a crime. Therefore, she and her team will only serve a minimum penalty for the war causalities. They will be on leave for a week and will not serve on any mission, but have the right to defend themselves if they are attacked during that time."

"Maxim Ivanovich," Zavulon protested. "I…"

"Stand down Zavulon! This case is closed."

"You are just ignoring murder."

"It was murder in self defence and for the protection of a loved one a protector. Anna Vsevolovna is a Light Magician Zavulon, and she cannot tell lies. Her word is the one I will be trusting and the voice of Seer Nadya Petrovna."

"Anna Vsevolovna's word is truth," Nadya agreed.

"You are now under the protection of the Inquisition."

Nadya nodded her head and vanished into the Gloom, much to Zavulon's disgust. It had never really been known to him that Nadya had been given to the Day Watch as a representative to the Truce. It was clear the Inquisition knew that the Dark needed one player who would go by the rules fairly to influence others.

"You will go on leave," Maxim told Anna.

"Observed?" she queried.

"No."

He smiled a little. "Take this is a holiday."

He turned to Zavulon, who shrank back again.

"You are dismissed."

As Maxim disappeared, he took Zavulon and Wolf with him, leaving the Night Watch unpunished. Anna relaxed against Semyon, who held her against him and sigh with relief. Geser also smiled, looking much less furious and tense as he did during that uncertain trial. The others looked relieved as well, feeling that they were lucky Nadya had been chosen as one of the representative of the Dark. They could have equally chosen Yuri, which would not have gone down well.

"That wasn't so bad," Ignat commented.

"Well done Ignat," Geser told him. "You did well."

"You need all of our thanks," Semyon turned to his friend.

"Someone needed to say something," Ignat replied.

"Unusual for you to say the right thing."

"It often pays to be gracious in defeat."

"You're admitted defeat to me Ignat?"

"Indeed Semyon I am."

Bear laughed. "History is made!"

Anna glanced at Ignat pointedly, who turned to Bear.

"And also to you," he added.

"Twice," Bear replied.

"Do you have anywhere to go?" asked Geser.

"Actually yes, I do!" Anna replied, grinning broadly. "When I came to Russia, I realised that all the English money I have saved up was worth much more over here. On that discovery, I bought a place up the road from Pevek on the arctic coast. I haven't been up there to check it out yet, so we could all go up there for the week."

"Does it have central heating?" Anton asked.

"Of course."

"And lights?"

"It's in the arctic Anton, of course it does."

"But it'll take all week to get out there," Stingray noted.

"Not flying in the Gloom it wont," Semyon replied.

Stingray and Ignat glanced at each other.

"Fly?" they queried in unison.

----

Later that day, the eight of them had packed a few things to take with them for the week in Pevek. Anna had left telling Stingray and gnat that her van could fly until they planned the leave. So, when they all met outside Semyon and Anna's flat, they were still under the impression they were going by Aeroflot. Ignat was still in disbelief and Stingray was thinking that Semyon would take over the plane and fly them through the Gloom. They were both miles from the truth.

"So how?" Stingray was still asking, impatiently.

"Tell them Anna," Semyon noted, smirking.

"My van could fly," Anna said simply.

Ignat glanced at it uncertainly.

"You're joking," he stated.

"No, I spent half a week modifying it," Anna explained.

"I remember Agent Ivanova couldn't find anyone to do it."

"Ah, but that was before I came."

Tiger Cub nodded. "She's a great engineer."

Everyone loaded their cases into the back of the truck, Semyon and Stingray climbing into the front passenger seat. The others piled into the back, squashing in comfortably with all the suitcases. Anna slammed all the doors shut and locked them securely before climbing into the driver's seat, starting up the engines and driving out of the car park.

"Can I fly through the Gloom?" Anna asked Semyon.

"Just go in as normal, and don't forget the Van and its load," he replied.

Anna pushed the morph button, Stingray hearing the mechanical sounds behind the van. He glanced out through the right wing mirror, staring with wide eyes at the delta shaped wings protruding from the side. Smirking, Anna put her foot down and sped off down the road, taking off into the air. From behind, she could faintly here the sound of laughter as the Night Watch officers laughed at Ignat's surprise.

"It can fly!" Stingray proclaimed.

"Of course it can," Anna replied.

As soon as they reached cruising altitude, Anna looked straight ahead, summoning up the Gloom. The van and everything inside it flew into the grey fog and arrived in the colourless sky of the Gloom. The journey was surreal. They could still move at astonishing speed, but the planes they flew passed on the way were moving very slowly. Time in the human world was normal, but here anything except the Others slowed down.

"Keep going," Semyon told her, softly.

"This is weird," Anna replied.

"But our journey time is cut dramatically."

They flying van flew over the town of Pevek once they arrived, Anna coming in low to land on a small road. Everyone felt the slight bump and the shift as Anna landed and turned the van back into its normal form. They came out of the Gloom before they reached the small northern town, driving out of the centre and along another road until they arrived at a large house that was overlooking the frozen coast line. She parked the van close to the front door and turned off the engines, the headlamps switching off. Semyon glanced out at the snow around the house, that was pretty much solid and it was now too far below freezing to snow. Pevek got most of its snowfall during spring and late summer.

"It's going to be cold out," Anna warned.

"We can handle it," Stingray replied, smiling.

The three Magicians climbed out of the front of the van, meeting the rest of the team outside. They unloaded the van and entered the house, still seeing their breath vaporising in front of them. Clearly no one had bothered to turn the heating on.

"We need some warmth," Ignat shivered.

"I thought you were expert at that," Bear noted, sarcastically.

"No one here wants it from me!"

"You can say that again," Tiger Cub replied.

"You're a wimp Ignat!" Anna proclaimed. "I'll do it."

She drew her energy from the Gloom, the lights in the house coming on first, followed by the sound of the central heating kicking in. That wouldn't warm up for an hour or so, so Anna introduced the warmth of Semyon's flat instead.

"Much better," Anton complimented.

"Thank you," Anna replied, smiling.

"Where's this from?" Semyon asked. "I know it."

"So you should! It's the warmth of your own bloody flat!"

"So it is! Well done, you've captured it well."

Bear looked awkward. "Warmth from where?"

Anna glared at him. "The radiators."

"Good, I thought it was something else for a moment."

Semyon's face went red, Stingray laughing.

"You're glowing again!" he observed.

"Stop looking at that," Semyon protested.

"I enjoy looking at energy auras, and Boris Ignatovich says I need all the practice I can get before I join the Night Watch. Speaking of the boss, I have to say that his is the most interesting. I can always see quite vividly his changes in mood from either really happy or really angry."

"That's Geser alright."

"Where are we all sleeping?" asked Ignat.

"You would ask that," Bear grumbled.

"I'll show you," Anna explained. "But no bringing people back Ignat, not on my property."

Ignat blushed, the others smiling at him with satisfaction. Anna showed Semyon to the first small bedroom, where he would share with her. In the second small bedroom was where Tiger Cub and Bear set up together on two single beds they pulled together. The third room was much large and Anna pulled out four beds; two free standing, one from a sofa and a fourth from the wall. Anton, Vyacheslav, Stingray and Ignat all shared, another incentive to get Ignat out of his usual habits.

"So the motto is?" Stingray queried.

"Be overweight and get a room to yourself?" Anton suggested.

That earned looks from Bear and Semyon.

"Hmm, I was thinking more of get a lover and get your own room."

"No problem," Ignat replied.

"I mean a real one using proper means."

Ignat reddened at Stingray's comment, meaning the young Magician only believed in permanent lovers. That was a bright start for a young lad his age, who was presently more interested in numbers, stars, galaxies and computers than women. Wise move. Anna had always been the same until Semyon came along.

After sorting out bedrooms and dumping the suitcases upstairs, the team were now settled downstairs. They had all fetched drink and food and were having a small party in the living room and adjoining terrace, which was covered in snow. Semyon, Tiger Cub, Bear and Anna were all smoking, Semyon teaching Anna how to use an easy ventilation spell. He said that using it correctly could also ease breathing problems or stop the effect of poison gas attacks.

"I learnt this during the First World War," Semyon began. "As you know, the Germans used mustard and chlorine gas over the trenches. I fought on the Eastern Front of course; front line! Sadly, due to the way the Truce works, we could only prevent the effects of this happening to Others. Firstly, we are not allows to influence humans, and secondly, any act of good we do allows the Dark to do evil."

"You love your stories Semyon!" Anton noted, cheerfully.

They looked at his smiling face carefully.

"Are you drunk Anton?" asked Bear.

"Me? Never! How dare you suggest…"

He took his bottle of vodka and gulped down some more of the strong, clear fluid. Anna read the label, seeing the Russian Cyrillic spelling out 'Stolichniskaya – distilled and bottled in Russia' along the red line. She shook her head, glancing over to Semyon who smirked.

"You can be Anna's test subject," he told Anton.

"What?" the Seer asked.

"Go on Anna."

Anna now understood why Semyon classed this kind of magic as simple. She concentrated on the building toxin levels in Anton's body, dispersing them and observing the unusual affect this had on her friend. His expression changed from rather dazed and smiling to completely sober and a little confused. He looked down at his hands and then back up to Anna.

"You can do that to!" he proclaimed.

"It's actually quite simple," Anna replied.

"Could you do this for me all the time?"

"Err… I see no reason why not."

"Good, because Semyon refused most of the time."

Anna glanced at Semyon. "Why?"

He shrugged. "Anton needs to learn not to drink so much."

"That's fair I suppose."

Anton looked slightly disappointed, but then again Anna was too good a Magician to be fooled. Now that young Stingray was here, he'd probably get him to do it. Although only a year younger than Anna, he was slightly less mature and not so good. Semyon and Anna sat down together, watching Ignat and Stingray who were engaged in a game of chess. Stingray had an unfair advantage because he was able to us his sound logic and Ignat's energy to work out his moves and make unpredictable ones himself.

"That's cheating a bit," Semyon noted, smirking.

"Yeah, but I'm chess champion oat MSU!" Stingray replied.

"Picking on humans too much, Lev."

"Kostya suggested I put my name down."

"Taking suggestions from a Dark Other?"

Semyon looked a little disapproved.

"He's alright you know," Stingray replied.

"He does know you're a Light Other, doesn't he?"

"Sure, but that doesn't stop us being friends."

"What if he comes to us for a licence?"

"Maybe I'll help him keep to the Truce."

Semyon nodded, watching as Ignat cured when Stingray made another ridiculously harsh move. He knew that it was maybe a good thing that Stingray would help keep Kostya nice and legal. However, he also knew if the Vampire was ever lured into the Day Watch, Stingray would be a little upset. That would turn too friends into enemies.

"Let things turn out Semyon," Anna spoke in his head.

"You do learn fast," Semyon approved.

"It's more appropriate than to say it aloud."

"I only worry for Lev's safety."

"I'm sure he's aware of that."

"Sometimes I wonder if he only thinks I go one at him too much."

"Semyon, Stingray's a Magician you trained and he will soon be ready to join the Night Watch. All he needs to do is listen to you to know that all you care about is his safety. During the day, Stingray is Lev Tupolev, a student at the Moscow State University studying for a degree in physics, and Kostya is his friend. Maybe that kind of friendship is good for both of them. Anton is Kostya's friend and neighbour too, don't forget."

"Fair and true Anna."

"Let's leave it at that."

She smiled at him.

"And Kostya's father helps mine."

"Hmm, I guess there's no harm yet."

"Exactly."

"And I know Lev's more sensible than he looks."

"That's not very difficult!"

They both laughed, Semyon yawning and looking around the room. Bear and Tiger Cub, who had been sitting separate with each other and excused themselves for an early night. Anton was also disappearing, staggering upstairs now due to tire rather than drunkenness. Stingray had also beaten Ignat rather easily at chess, both of them now packing the board and pieces away.

"I'll challenge you tomorrow Stingray," Vyacheslav offered.

"Hmm, I'll think about that," Stingray replied.

"It'll beat you at your own game," Ignat muttered.

Vyacheslav laughed, heading upstairs for bed himself.

"I'm going up too now," Semyon stated.

"Do you want hot chocolate first?" Anna asked.

"You drink that a lot in England, do you?"

"Hmm, it's one of the best."

"Bring it up when you join me."

He kissed her and went upstairs, Anna disappearing into the kitchen to warm up hot chocolate for herself and Semyon in the microwave. Stingray came to join her, Ignat wandering in and out to load glasses up for cleaning.

"Thanks for backing up Kostya," Stingray noted.

"You shouldn't listen in on conversations," Anna replied with a smirk.

"Sorry, but I had to make sure that Semyon doesn't disapprove too much of our friendship. I guess as a top Magician, he wouldn't make many friends out of Dark Others, but Kostya's not a Day Watch officer. He knows that I was trained in the Night Watch, but somehow, he seems unaffected by that."

"Semyon worries for your safety."

"I know."

"But he respects you."

"Do I really not look sensible?"

Anna laughed. "Honestly no!"

"Hmm. Ah well, I can't change that."

Once the microwave beeped, Anna opened the door and took out the two steaming mugs, leaving them to stand for a bit.

"How did your parents deal with you being an Other?"

"Yes, I heard about what happened with yours; they didn't understand you. My parents died Anna and it's something I've keep hidden. I did it accidentally when I was only 14; my mother got angry and I cursed her, giving her a black vortex. She slipped on ice and cracked her head open and my father got hit by a trolley bus as he crossed to the car park from work. I met Semyon after that and found out I did it; I was so upset and regretful of it that it forced me to turn Light when I entered the Gloom. I signed up for the Night Watch and began training."

"That's a sad story."

"But it's made him who he is," Ignat added, vanishing again to fetch some plates.

"That is true," Stingray agreed. "Geser fear that if I never found out, I'd be Zavulon's. The boss saved me from turning to the Light by getting Semyon to show me what happened. Then I went to live with him and grew up with the man who saved my life. That's why I'm so close to him."

"Hmm, you're in his debt."

"But because we are Light, it never needs to be repaid. Only honoured."

They left the kitchen, Anna pausing as Ignat went into the kitchen for the last time with a small pile of plates. She picked up the towel from the radiator, catching Ignat before he exited.

"Wash up will you Ignat?" she asked.

She threw the towel at him and left with Stingray. Ignat looked put out, turning the pile of waiting dishes. If he hadn't concentrating on perfecting his infamous ability to seduce, he might have learnt how to wash dishes without having to use elbow grease. He sighed and got to work.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

They just relaxed in Pevek and around the house for the week they were there for. They received one call from the boss, who assured them that nothing had come up about Vsevolod's kidnapping. Other than that, the eight of them were able to take a nice break from work. Stingray impressed them all by diving into frozen sea and managing to stay under water for 20 minutes without freezing. That was only then broken by Semyon, who was the expert and stayed under water for a whole hour, only coming up because Anna told him to.

On the last day in Pevek, Anna had a brief call from Maxim Ivanovich to see how the team was getting on and to inform her they could all go back on duty my late morning the next day. After a week relaxing in the frozen winter of Pevek, that didn't sound too inviting. During that day, only Vyacheslav was suspicious that the Day Watch hadn't tried to gatecrash their holiday. Even the last evening wasn't disturbed by Dark Others wanting to pick a fight. Perhaps the Inquisition had really frightened Zavulon. It was a fair thought, but still only Vyacheslav was unsatisfied by it.

During that evening, everyone watched a three way dual between Anna, Semyon and Stingray which was incredibly entertaining. Anna had made an excellent start by shocking both Semyon and Stingray with several bolts of electricity; even Stingray's jelled hair went fluffy. But that was only a warm up, Semyon settling down to take the win with ease. All through it, they'd had many types of weather indoors at once; a record breaking drought from Kazakhstan, the coldest winter ever recorded in Arctic Russia, a southern Chinese typhoon, the early Canadian autumn and Anna's favourite, a mini continental thunderstorm. The living room, after having several controlled explosions, napalm attacks, lightning strikes, a recreated non-hazardous nuclear blast and a volcanic eruption, was now a mess. It took an hour for Semyon, Anna and Stingray to fix it back up to how it was.

"Bloody hell!" Anton laughed, clapping with the rest.

"That sure is something," Bear agreed.

Next, Bear and Tiger Cub fought each other playfully in animal form, both of them ending up in stalemate. The raw strength and power clearly went in the polar bear's favour, but the cunning and agility was on the side of the tiger. Both Shape Shifters turned back to their human forms, graciously accepting a draw. That had been met with applause, especially from the awestruck Stingray, who had never really seen Tiger Cub and Bear in action.

Finally, it was Anton, Vyacheslav and Ignat's turn to show off. Ignat's sorcery was unfortunately somewhat limited, and Anton and Vyacheslav's powers were hardly anything to see. They decided to engage each other in a quick display of martial arts and physical activities. The most impressive stunt was the three of them fighting with long, thin swords each with flames on the tip. Anna conjured up an ambient darkness, which also added to the effect of the flames. Ignat beat both Anton and Vyacheslav easily, the Psychic resting breathlessly in the kitchen with a glass of water and the Seer lying on the floor with Ignat's flaming sword pointed at his throat.

"Better put that out," Anton suggested.

"Hmm," Ignat replied with a smile.

That was it; they passed around a pack of cigarettes and drank a bit of vodka, talking amongst themselves. They then slept heavily on mulled wine, biscuits and hot chocolate. Their night was undisturbed mostly, but they all took their time dropping off. The two couples in their separate rooms had their obvious distractions, and the other four couldn't stop talking. Eventually, they all silenced and went to sleep when the clocks roughly read 11:37.

Anton woke early in the morning, unsure of what the time was; in the arctic during the winter it was always dark. He rolled over and checked the time on his clock. The bright green digits read 2:30am. He groaned and rolled back over, recalling the dream that had woken him. A band of Dark Others wearing balaclavas, two of them wolves, showed up and raided the house. They took Anna hostage and left Semyon and Tiger Cub in Gloom comas. Had this been a vision or just some horrible dream caused by the effect of too much vodka?

"Antosha," whispered a voice.

Anton sat up in bed slowly, looking about the room in the dark and seeing that Vyacheslav was also awake. However, the other two were still sound asleep; Stingray looking ridiculous with one arm hanging over the side of his bed and Ignat looking unusual without one or two women with him.

"What?" Anton whispered back.

"I saw your vision in my sleep," he replied. "It woke me."

"Should we do something?" Anton yawned. "Can you not check for energies?"

Vyacheslav shook his head. "Both pairs have hidden their energies over night to make sure we couldn't accidentally see what they were doing. Semyon knows how gifted Stingray is with that; I imagine both he and Bear made sure their late night activities were… err… protected."

"Perhaps we should get up and check on them."

"And wake them too; just in case."

"Even Tiger Cub?"

Vyacheslav thought for a while. "Just Anna for now."

Slowly, Anton for out of bed, glancing at Stingray who stirred, but only closed his mouth and stopped snoring. He and Vyacheslav left the room, trying not to raise the alarm in case everyone was alright. It would be embarrassing to wake everyone over and alcohol induced nightmare that wasn't even a vision. They walked passed the first small bedroom, peering inside at its occupants. Tiger Cub and Bear were both sprawled out on either side of the double bed, silently sleeping. Vyacheslav went back and pulled the door to, looking relieved.

"She's fine," he assured Anton.

"What about Anna?" Anton asked.

They walked over to the second small bedroom, Anton putting his ear to the door just in case. There wasn't a sound thankfully. Gently, he pushed the door open and inspected the double bed by the window and the far end. Semyon lay on his side, snoring a little, Anna curled up against him with her arms draped over his shoulders, her head nestled into his chest and a smile on her face.

"They're alright," Anton sounded relieved.

"So it hasn't happened yet," Vyacheslav replied.

"Do you really think it was a vision?"

"I imagine so; I don't pick up on mindless dreams."

"Will it happen?"

"You've never been wrong before Anton."

"Should I wake them?"

Vyacheslav glanced over to the sleeping couple.

"It seems a shame to," he noted.

"But if it'll save them."

"Go ahead Antosha."

Carefully, Anton crossed the room and moved to the side of the bed. He felt rather uncomfortable doing this, so he hoped he wasn't being paranoid. However, he had Vyacheslav to back him up on this one, just in case Semyon's immediate conclusion was a bad dream. He could imagine the Magician simply commenting on the effects of vodka on the brain as it worked its way through the system over night. Gently, Anton reached over and shook Semyon's shoulder.

"Semyon," he hissed.

He didn't stir an inch.

"Semyon!" Anton repeated.

All he did was shift a little, tightening his grip about Anna and closing his open mouth, ceasing his snoring. Vyacheslav came over, Anton turning round and shrugging. It seemed it would take a nuclear bomb strike to wake this man. Vyacheslav however, reached for the window and opened it, the cold air not having much effect on the ambient warmth indoors. He heaped a pile of snow off the window sill into his hand and tipped it onto Semyon's neck. That woke him with a start.

"What the fuck is that!" he exclaimed.

"Sorry Semyon," Vyacheslav replied.

Semyon sat up, Anna moving closer to his side and both of them trying to conceal their nakedness. Semyon slid the window shut after refreezing the melted snow on his back and throwing it out.

"What's the matter," he grumbled.

"Anton had a vision," Vyacheslav replied.

Semyon glanced uncertainly at Anton.

"Vision or nightmare?" he questioned.

"I knew you'd see that!" proclaimed Anton.

"No dream Semyon," Vyacheslav explained. "I never pick up on people's dreams, only their visions. If I picked up on dreams, I'd be calling up the Night Watch to check every square inch of Russia and Eastern Europe for curses and dead bodies!"

"That is true," Semyon agreed.

"Could we at least get dressed first?" Anna asked.

"Of course, sorry."

Anna disappeared into the Gloom' that was possibly the most effective way and you and you could be on your guard at the same time. Semyon now looked rather ridiculous sitting on his own, the bed covers only reaching part way over his podgy stomach. Anton laughed, pulling up a chair and sitting down.

"You shut up," Semyon growled.

"You look so funny!" Anton laughed.

The Magician blushed. "You could have knocked."

"That would not have woken you."

"You could have told me through my dreams, you know."

"I'm not going into your fantasies Semyon."

Semyon reddened again, Anna reappearing out of the Gloom in thick jeans, an Italian football shirt and a black fleece. She threw Semyon some of his clothes, which had been heaped untidily in a suitcase.

"Get dressed," she ordered.

In a few minutes, Vyacheslav had woken up the rest of the group and assembled them downstairs. Most of them were still rather tired, so Anton and Vyacheslav helped them all to come round a bit. Semyon looked rather peculiar in jeans and CSKA Moscow jumper; but as with all of his trousers, they were belted securely about his waste. Ignat looked even stranger in a black tracksuit, the zip on his jacket even done up right the way to his neck.

"Why the early rise?" asked Stingray.

"You can blame me," Anton replied.

"For most things Antosha," Bear smirked. "Carry on."

"I was troubled by a vision before I woke. I saw a group of Dark Ones, about three of them with two wolves. I couldn't see who they were because their faces were covered with balaclavas. They raided the house, kidnapped Anna and left Semyon and Tiger Cub in Gloom comas. That's all I saw."

"Interesting Anton," Semyon noted.

"I don't know when it will happen."

"I say we wait," Stingray suggested. "Turn off all the lights and wait for the bastards to show up. When the break in, we get them and blast the living daylights out them! Or force them to retreat by displays of force they wouldn't dare compete against."

"Great idea action man," Tiger Cub commented sarcastically.

"We could just leave," Anton added.

Anna shook her head. "We are here by order of the Inquisition; we cannot leave until 12:30 this afternoon. They also said that we are allowed to defend ourselves if we are attacked on leave. If the Dark Ones show up, I suggest we do what Lev said."

"Really?" Stingray asked, grinning.

"It's a nice idea."

"Excellent!"

"You said one of them was a woman?" Ignat queried.

Vyacheslav sighed. "No Ignat, not this time."

"But it saves using brutal force."

"If Zavulon sent them, then he knows you are here with us. He would not have sent a vulnerable woman like Alisa, but someone with high resistance. I know not many over look you Ignat, but some can' like Anna, Lena and Nadya. Either that, or the woman is being guarded by the others against you."

"Point taken."

"We'll put Stingray's plan into action."

The team set themselves up and waited in the dark, hoping that something would eventually happen. Anna, Semyon and Stingray were sat together, but Stingray was waiting in the Gloom. Ignat was on his own, in view of Anton and Vyacheslav who were also in the Gloom. Tiger Cub and Bear where sat together as well in their animal forms, Tiger Cub hidden in the Gloom. About 20 minutes passed and still nothing happened. But as soon as they were about to give up, they heard a car pull up outside. Semyon peered through the Gloom and glanced at Stingray, who nodded.

"It's a Chevrolet," he stated.

"Who's in it?" asked Semyon.

"Dark Others; five of them. Two men, a woman and two Shape Shifters taking the forms of wolves. Just like Anton said he saw. I can't see their faces, only their auras but they're coming towards the house."

"In the Gloom?"

"The wolves are, but not the other three."

"Alright. Suggestions?"

"We all go into the Gloom and get the two guardians. They expect us to be asleep, if Antosha's vision is correct, so the element of surprise is on our side. Can you catch any of their thoughts, Vyacheslav?"

They turned to the Psychic.

"Yes," Vyacheslav replied. "But they know I'm here, so they've tried to block me out. The two men are alright, but the woman is useless. From her, I get the impression that they're not Day Watch officers, but they've been hired. I'm only guessing here, but I believe that Zavulon may have hired them."

"My thoughts exactly," Ignat agreed.

"Just let them come."

"Wait!" Stingray hissed. "I have an idea!"

Stingray leapt to his feet, Anna feeling the cool blast of him rushing passed in the Gloom. He approached the front door and locked it, stepping back from it slightly as the Dark Others came towards it. The first man reached the door and slipped into the Gloom, trying to open it, but he wasn't able to.

"The boy locked it!" he growled.

Stingray looked hurt at being called a boy.

"Can you get to the Second Level?" asked the woman.

"I wouldn't dare try," the man replied.

"Then we'll go round the back."

Stingray dashed back into the room and indicted to the others to move towards the terrace. They all slipped into the Gloom to join those already there and made there way towards the back entrance, opening the door and entering the freezing cold. They spread out prepared, Semyon and Stingray taking the lead with Bear and Tiger Cub protecting Anna between them. Firstly, the two wolves came round, but backed off into the other three when they saw the team.

"You said they'd be asleep Vadim!" the second man hissed.

"Shut up Milan!" the man named Vadim spat.

"Just come here for what we came for!" the woman exclaimed.

They drew small firearms, the two wolves growling at their heals. It was a very primitive method, seeing as top class Magicians could not be killed by these sorts of human weapon. Stingray pulled a glowing green cable out of his belt, the end of it shaped like the tip of a stingray's tail. He slashed it through the air and knocked the firearms out from the Dark Others' hands, cutting deep slashes into their skin.

"Fools!" the woman snapped. "I knew that would never work."

"Never mind Irena," Vadim replied. "We'll get what we want."

"And what do you want?" Vyacheslav asked.

"You know!" Milan turned to the Psychic. "Your Seer saw it."

"What do you want with Anna Kepalenko?"

"We've been sent to capture her alive. What ever the cost."

"In return for what?" Ignat asked. "You're mercs, not Day Watch agents."

"My son doesn't have the power to use his animal form," Irena replied. "Zavulon promised Vadim and I that our son can have that strength if we bring to him that Light Magician he wants."

"He can't take her from me," Semyon snarled.

He drew out his torch, shining it at Irena. Anna and Anton followed suit.

"We can come to some other compromise," Vyacheslav suggested.

One of the wolves snarled and lunged at Anna, but he was cut off by Tiger Cub who wrestled it to the ground. The second wolf jumped at Bear, who was able to knock it flying back into the pine trees with one swipe from his great, furry white paw. Tiger Cub released the wolf she held captive, the black animal's fur torn and the skin underneath bloody. Anna shined her torch at it.

"You forget I killed one of your kind," she snarled.

"And you were given no punishment," the female wolf replied, acidly.

"For a good reason; the Dark made the first move."

"Is that how things are decided in the Watch?" Vadim asked. "Who makes the first move gets punished, be them Light or Dark? If that is the case, do you wonder why Others like us choose to remain uninitiated."

"If that is the case, then why pick on humans?" asked Tiger Cub.

"It is our way of life."

"You have Vampires among you?"

"No. Only poorly rated Sorcerers and Shape Shifters."

"Then you do not have an excuse to terrorise humans."

"We have all we want!"

Vadim drew his sword out from his belt, Milan following. These two were still fighters, most certainly, but their level of Sorcery was very weak, and only strong enough at best to conjure up strength for a fight and primitive weapons.

"Enough of this!"

There was a flash of light a Geser teleported between the team of Night Watch agents and Dark Mercenaries. The Dark Ones backed off, the two wolves shouting in fear and running away from the house down the road. Vadim and Milan dropped their swords, Irena moving closer to Vadim's side.

"These people are protected by the Inquisition," Geser stated.

"Zavulon said that," Vadim replied. "That's why he sent us."

Milan nudged him. "He's the Light one, don't talk to him…"

"He must answer me," Geser snapped, not looking at Milan.

"What do you want with my agents?" the boss continued.

"Lord Zavulon gave us a deal," Vadim explained. "Irena and I have a son; he is a Shape Shifter who can take the form of a Jaguar. But he was cursed by an uninitiated Light Other, who I could not kill in time. Now he has been deprived of energy so much he cannot transform anymore, and none of us are powerful enough to lift the vortex. Zavulon promised us that if we bring to him the Light Magician Anna Vsevolovna, he will release our son from the vortex."

Geser nodded. "I see."

"Would Zavulon do that?" Stingray queried.

"He'd have to, he's obliged to. But his terms will not be met."

Vadim and Irena glanced at each other.

"Then you doom our son to be cursed," Irena exclaimed.

"What Zavulon can lift, so can I," Geser assured her.

"You cannot do business with Dark Ones," Milan cut in.

Geser silenced young Milan. "I cannot do business with Day Watch agents. You are only uninitiated Dark Others, who have had your lives changed badly by an poor deed done by a Light Other not of the Night Watch. I can lift any curse wrongly given by a Light Other; that in itself is a good deed I am entitled to do."

"Technical talk," Milan muttered.

"Can you do this for my son?" Irena cut across him.

"Without a price, of course," Geser replied with a small smile.

"Then I have to offer you my thanks."

Vadim nodded. "Me also."

Geser turned back to his Night Watch agents, observing them as they put away their weapons. All of them came out of the Gloom, the snow around them looking much whiter. The boss looked at Semyon with a smirk, the Magician turning a suspicious gaze on him.

"There is nothing wrong with CSKA Moscow," he stated.

"I thought they put you down," Geser replied.

"Not at all, I just didn't come across well enough in appearance."

Anna glanced at Semyon intrigued.

"Semyon followed CSKA Moscow," Bear explained. "Our friend here tried to sign up as a defender in 1995, but they turned him down. They took one look at him and didn't realise that Semyon was fitter than he looked; I mean no human will look at someone that big and think he's capable of running!"

The Magician blushed.

"Still not satisfied," Bear continued. "He tried again as a goal keeper a year later, but they turned him down again. Then Semyon settled for the fact that, as an Other, he would be influencing humans too much by playing on a football team. I suggested he try doing hammer throw in the field athletics."

Stingray laughed. "I remember that!"

Semyon turned on his former student. "So who do you support?"

"Dynamo Kiev and Chelsea."

"Chelsea?" Anna queried.

"I feel they may have a Russian interest in the future."

"Honestly?"

"Oh yeah! Accompanied by the smell of oil for some reason."

Stingray shrugged. "I get little visions like that occasionally."

"Alright," Geser cut in.

He turned back to Vadim and Irena.

"If you'd allow me, I'll like to see your son and remove this vortex," he explained.

"Will this allow him to shift?" Irena asked.

"It'll give him back all the trapped energy."

"I have to say, your terms a better than Zavulon's."

Geser nodded. "I'll have to have words with him."

He turned to Anna.

"You can return home now."

"But it's a little early," Anna replied.

"I've spoke to Maxim and he agrees, especially seeing as Zavulon broke the agreement by hiring mercenaries. Apparently Nadya is furious about all this; you now how she can be when either side breaks the rules."

Vyacheslav smiled. "Oh yes."

Everyone glanced at him, his face reddening.

"We'll get ready," Anna told the boss.

----

At the Day Watch Headquarters in central Moscow, Zavulon was sat lounging in front of the TV switching through the music channels on satellite. He lit up a cigarette and leaned back into the sofa, putting his feet up on the table in front of him. However, he was soon interrupted by Alisa and Piotr as they came in.

"Do they have her?" Zavulon asked without looking around.

"No sir," Alisa replied.

Zavulon switched off the TV and turned to face them.

"And why not?" he asked in a calm, dangerous tone.

"Anton was woken by a vision," Alisa continued, cautiously. "He saw that our mercenaries planned to attack them and the boy Stingray set up a plan to catch them. Then Geser turned up. He was able to release the Shape Shifter's vortex and allow him to use his energy. They've left Pevek now and returned back to Moscow."

"I knew that Vadim was too damn weak to stand up to the Night Watch!"

"So what do we do now?"

Zavulon smirked. "We move to plan B."

Alisa and Piotr glanced at each other.

"Negotiation?" they asked, curiously.

"Yes," Zavulon replied.

"You mean we just give them…"

"I'm giving nothing away to the pair of you! If you, or any one, gets hold of my plan then Vyacheslav Berezkev, Nadya's occasional lover, will pick the information right out of your brains! I can fool him well enough, no one else can."

"Where shall we arrange the meeting?"

"In the Kremlin, during the night and in the Gloom."

"Who will you send?"

"A little messenger who Geser trusts to tell the truth."

Zavulon smirked.

"Nadya, I summon you!" he commanded.

Nadya appeared beside Alisa and Piotr, both of them flinching back from her. She shared a usual venomous stare with Alisa before turning to her boss, not looking very pleased.

"I asked you not to tell the Watch about my affections for Vyacheslav Berezkev," she noted, flatly.

"I will do you no more favours," Zavulon snapped.

"For doing my job properly? You will not push me out of line."

"I am still your boss; I can do what I like with your dark secrets."

"Unless Maxim forbids it."

They glared at each other, but the Day Watch boss quickly got back to the point.

"I have no concern to harm you," he admitted.

"Why have you summoned me?" asked Nadya.

"I have a message for you to give to Geser when he returns from Chukotka."

"Go ahead, I will deliver it."

"Tell him we are ready to negotiate."


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

Anna drove the team back to Moscow in the flying van through the Gloom, Geser taking the quicker option of teleporting. Bear had a message in on his phone from the Gorsvet boss, explaining that something urgent had happened that could not be discussed over the phone. They were to arrive at Headquarters immediately. Anna took the other team members back to their flats first to deposit their luggage before driving herself and Semyon back to their own. They got out of the lift at their flat and entered the living room, Anna momentarily falling back against the wall.

"Are you alright?" Semyon asked, concerned.

He moved over to her and took her by the shoulders, she leaning against him. He placed his fingers under her chin and brought her face up to look at him; she had turned very pale.

"Anna?" he queried.

"I'm fine Semyon," she replied.

"You've gone very pale."

She observed his concerned expression and smiled.

"I'll be fine," she stated, stroking his stubbly cheek and kissing him. "I've felt a little bit off for a few days, that's all. I don't know why; maybe it's travelling, food, vodka or even just a stomach bug. It's possibly just a cold or something, but I've felt really dizzy and a bit hot lately."

"Have you been sick?"

"I've felt a little queasy in the morning, that's all."

"It's possibly weird food and travel then."

"Hmm, that's what I thought."

Anna deposited her case in the bedroom and went into the bathroom, leaving the door ajar behind her. She washed her face in cold water to freshen up a bit before turning to regard her slightly pale face in the mirror. She'd felt ill now for about a week; it couldn't really be travel, for it had started a day or two before going to Pevek. But she stopped on a thought… was that a possibility?

"No," she mumbled aloud.

Could that really be the case? Would something like that be the answer to all these strange feelings? Morning sickness; it had to be. Anna regarded Semyon through the slight gap in the door, watching as he belted up his khaki combats, still bare chested. Maybe he should know about the possibility… but there was no need to worry him if it was just coincidence. It was best to be sure before telling something so dramatic to Semyon.

She shrugged off that chain of thought and left the bathroom into the bedroom as Semyon put his black T-shirt on, the style fitting very closely to his body, but that wasn't a difficult thing. She changed quickly into her Gorsvet gear, grabbing her searchlight from on top of the chest of drawers. She met Semyon, now shrugging his jacket on, in the hallway and they exited the flat together, hand in hand. They took Semyon's van; leaving Anna's to cool down after the long flight. By the time they arrived at the Gorsvet offices, their fellow comrades were already there with Geser.

"All here sir," Stingray stated.

"Good," Geser replied.

He turned to Anna.

"Next time you go to Pevek, I suggest you put a protection shield around that house to stop Dark Others from detecting your presence. It may solve some unwanted break-ins whilst on holiday."

"Sounds reasonable," Anna agreed.

"What's happened to bring us back in a rush," Vyacheslav asked.

"Zavulon's agreeing to negotiate the released of Vsevolod Kepalenko," the Gorsvet boss explained. "He wants you to meet him and his representatives at the Kremlin to discuss the hand over of Vsevolod."

"Do you trust him?"

"Not in the slightest, that's why I'm going with you."

Semyon and Vyacheslav glanced at each other; this had to be serious.

Quickly, the eight members of the team split up for transport; Tiger Cub and Bear heading down on the motorbike, Semyon driving with Anna and Vyacheslav next to him and the rest piled into the back. Geser chose to teleport to the Kremlin to save space, and Semyon didn't really want to ask the boss to squash into the back of a van. As midnight fell, the arrived at the Kremlin, meeting Geser at the entrance of the Spasskiy Tower. They entered the Gloom and arrived at the meeting spot chosen by Zavulon; the Tsar's Cannon. The Day Watch boss showed up out of the darkness, his guards showing up behind him; Alisa, Piotr, Wolf, Fox, Yuri and Falcon.

"Glad you could make it," Zavulon greeted calmly.

"I understand you are prepared to negotiate," Geser cut straight in.

"Yes, about the released of Vsevolod Kepalenko."

"You say negotiate? You want a price for him?"

Zavulon smiled. "Your surrender?"

"Something worth an exchange, Zavulon."

"Like what?"

"Licensing an illegal Vampire with your permission, perhaps."

"I mean something more valuable Boris, not merely something that's already your job to do. You know exactly what I want in return. If you free Vsevolod, I want to have his daughter in replace of his defection. I want an exchange of life; his for hers."

Semyon held Anna to his side.

"No deal Zavulon," he snarled.

"Impossible," Geser replied.

"Pity," Zavulon said, softly. "Then there will be no exchange."

"You are not acting in accordance to the Truce, or our agreement."

"Vsevolod is a Dark One!"

"We agreed to settle his release!"

"I've changed my mind."

"Because you want Anna!"

"You have Semyon and Vyacheslav, that's enough."

"And you have Yuri and Alisa."

"Neither of which are half the power of Semyon!"

"Anna's a Light Magician. She's chosen the path of Good."

"She belongs to me," Semyon added.

Zavulon turned to him. "Keep out of this."

"She is under my protection, as a lover and mentor."

"Sentimentalities are no barrier for me!"

"Enough of these absurdities!" Geser exclaimed. "Zavulon, you are wasting my time and your agents are stepping closer to crimes punishable by the Inquisition, as are mine. We agreed long ago that the fighting has to end if we all live; destiny has decided when the last battle takes place, and it is not today! Destiny has also decided to place Semyon and Anna together."

"Then Vsevolod shall be executed."

"No!" Anna exclaimed.

She loaded her searchlight and aimed the beam at Zavulon, Stingray following suit. Emboldened by their advance on the Day Watch boss, the other Night Watch officers did the same, the other Dark Ones backing off from the light. Zavulon reached out and grabbed one of the torch beams, trying to pull it free from the barrel of the weapon. There was an explosion of bright light and each Night Watch officers was thrown back into the darkness of the Gloom by an invisible shockwave.

--

Semyon got to his feet and looked around; Anton and Stingray were also getting to their feet with him, but the others were no where to be seen. The Gloom in the Kremlin was dense and very dark, enhanced by the strong negative energy of the Day Watch's strongest agents. The three of them switched on their torches and shined the beams of light around. Zavulon was not here, nor any of his minions.

"Where is everyone?" asked Stingray.

"All over the Kremlin I expect," Semyon replied.

"The Gloom is so dark."

"That's because of Zavulon."

Anton looked around. "He can do this?"

"Hmm, Geser can too."

Stingray and Anton glanced at Semyon.

"Can you?" they asked.

"No," Semyon replied. "I'm not powerful enough."

There was a rustling sound from the distance, the three Night Watch officers aiming their torches in the direction of the sound. They saw paw prints in the snow; small prints like that of a small dog. They were not big enough to be a Wolf's. The three of them crowded around each other for defence but also to get inside the influence of Semyon's protection. Especially Stingray.

"Show yourself!" Anton shouted.

There was the sound of a fox screaming, something that made Stingray jump; prior to that, it had been silent. Semyon glanced at the young Magician, who raised his hand apologetically and slowed his breathing. The three of them aimed their torches at the ground again, seeing the small form of the fox walk up to them.

"Where's your boss," Semyon demanded.

"Doing his job," Fox snarled.

"Has he ordered Vsevolod's execution, Bogdan?"

Fox laughed. "You have no idea."

"Enough of the cryptic nonsense! I order you to tell me what the Day Watch is up to now; you won't get away with this. Where is your boss and what does has he done with the rest of my team?"

"The rest? Oh no, he only wants one."

Semyon glared harshly. "Anna."

Stingray noted a slight falter in Semyon's aura; was that fear?

Fox laughed again, Semyon loading his torch. But before he could do anything, there was the sound of a bird of prey screeching overhead. A Falcon swooped in from the dark sky and knocked the torch out of Semyon's hand. It landed in the snow, scattering beams of light everywhere and forcing Fox to back off. Falcon landed on the snow by the torch and transformed back into his human form; a tall, overweight Russian with an army style hair cut and broad shoulders. He reached down and picked up Semyon's weapon, a small shield protecting his hand from the light.

"Vladimir," Semyon snarled.

"We're really glad you came," Falcon replied.

"Of course you are."

Stingray moved around Semyon, aiming his torch at Falcon and loading it with a green light crystal. He fired a thin, acid green beam of light at Falcon which shot the torch out of his hand. The Dark Magician flinched back, allowing Semyon to blast him back further with a well aimed concussion spell. He dived to the ground, grabbing the torch and aiming the beam of light at Fox, who was ready to strike.

"Get back!" Semyon snarled.

Fox cowered away from the light.

"Geser won't like this," Anton noted.

"He can see we have no choice to fight," Semyon replied.

--

Elsewhere in the Kremlin, the others came around. Vyacheslav, Ignat, Tiger Cub and Bear pulled themselves up off the ground, brushing the snow off themselves. They looked around, flashing the beams of their torches through the darkness, but the others were not there.

"What about Semyon, Anton, Lev and Anna?" asked Ignat. "And Geser?"

"They'll be elsewhere, probably trying to find us," Vyacheslav replied.

"Can you pick up their thoughts?"

"No, the Gloom is too dense to reach through."

Tiger Cub looked around.

"Can this affect our energy?" she asked.

"This is only the First Level," Vyacheslav explained. "It cant hurt you anymore than the Gloom does normally. My head is just full of noise and mess; Zavulon has created this to stop us seeing each other. In this, I am no more than a low grade Magician with basic powers. My psychic powers are too confused."

Ignat looked shocked. "Even me?"

"I don't know."

"Yes even you," an acidic voice pierced the air.

The Night Watch officers spun round, aiming their torches at who spoke. Alisa and Piotr walked out of the dark, both of them wearing sunglasses to protect their eyes. Alisa walked further forward and stood in front of Ignat, an evil smirk appearing on her unattractive stated.

"I didn't expect to see you so soon," Ignat replied.

"That wont work," Alisa spat.

She slapped him, an action that didn't fail to bring a smile to his comrades' faces.

"I've waited for that," Alisa added.

"You were right about this Gloom Slava," Ignat replied, rubbing his stinging cheek.

"It's not your powers that are needed," Tiger Cub noted.

"I've been technically blinded," Vyacheslav agreed.

"Which is the idea," Piotr smoked.

"Your boss is not playing by the rules."

"No one can stop him; he believes that Anna deserved to be punished and this is his way of protest. On this basis, we can make sure that the Inquisition except this as a right we have without judging us."

"Unless Nadya has something to say."

"Why assume she can save the day?" Alisa asked.

Vyacheslav smirked. "You have no idea."

--

Anna woke up deep within the darkness of the Kremlin with no one else in sight. She scrambled to her feet and took her searchlight from the ground next to her, turning it on and shining it all around. She was deep in the centre of the Kremlin alone and there wasn't a sound. The Gloom was thick with negative energy but not draining, however there was still something stifling about it.

"Semyon!" she called. "Lena!"

There was no reply from anyone.

"Semyon!" she shouted again.

There was a rustling behind her, Anna spinning around to face the noise, taking out another torch. The beams crossed and revealed Yuri standing there, his arms folded across his chest and his sunglasses on. He smirked at her, not making any aggressive moves like Alisa might have done.

"Face to face," he stated. "At last."

"Why do you want to face me?" asked Anna.

"You're a student of Semyon Pavlovich, who is a great and powerful enemy of mine. I've never had the chance to meet with Lev Tupolev, so I do not know his students compare to the great man himself. I feel privileged to take this opportunity to test the power of my enemy's lover and best student. It's an honour."

"I don't trust you."

"No one in your Watch does."

"And with good reason."

Yuri took a step towards her, but Anna was taking any chances against the Day Watch's skilled Dark Sorcerer. She loaded up the two torches and fired two green beams of light at Yuri. The two beams pinned him to a tree behind him through his shoulder beams where they crossed.

"Don't move," Anna snarled.

"I can't," Yuri growled.

"What do you want with me?"

"I told you before."

"Flattery gets you no where; shot me with the truth."

Before Yuri could continue, the shadowy form of a Wolf jumped in between the two beams of green light. That sent a shockwave back to the bulbs, forcing Anna to drop the torch and searchlight to the ground. She backed off, drawing a little energy in from the Gloom ready for a fight.

"You took your time Evgeniy," Yuri snarled.

"Let's just get Anna and go," Wolf replied.

They rounded on her, Anna deciding to take a risk at that moment. Conserving her energy, she travelled deeper into the Gloom, turned and ran. She felt the other two go after her, but they didn't dare move in deeper and Anna hid her energy aura in the way Semyon told her. She didn't really know where she was running because it was so dark, but all she cared about was getting back to Semyon. However, she soon hit an invisible wall of energy and fell to the ground, starting to feel very dizzy. She could vaguely sense the energies of three Dark Ones standing over her.

"Clever," it was Zavulon's voice. "But not clever enough."

"What should we do with her?" asked Yuri's voice.

"Get Piotr and Alisa to take her to our Headquarters in the car. Then she can see her father who the Night Watch has been trying so desperately to find. Then we can here Vsevolod's wishes."

The Dark Ones laughed, Anna slipping deep into unconsciousness.

---

Elsewhere, the team had all met up again once the Gloom had been lifted; the Day Watch also disappeared with it. Geser had joined them and so had the Dark Seer Nadya, but Anna was missing. Semyon was looked very anxious, but neither Vyacheslav nor Stingray could pick her up. She had vanished with the Day Watch.

"We have to find her," Semyon stated.

"She's simply not here," Vyacheslav told him.

"Then Zavulon must have captured her."

"Perhaps Nadya can shed some light on this," Geser cut in.

"Her?" Ignat protested. "She's dark!"

"Not so anymore Ignat," Nadya replied, sternly. "Maxim Ivanovich came to the decision that I had lost my identity within the Day Watch and am now neither Light nor Dark. I had only become to discover that of recent. I have been de-initiated from the Day Watch and have joined the ranks of the Inquisition above either side. My current assignment is to help you bring Anna's kidnapper to justice."

"Does Zavulon have her?" asked Semyon.

"Sadly yes, Semyon Pavlovich."

"Do you know what for?" Anton queried.

"Zavulon wants her in a deal with Vsevolod, that is all I know," Nadya explained. "How and why, I'm not sure, but he wants her to do something for Vsevolod. Zavulon never made anything clear to his minions within the Watch."

"That's a start." Geser stated.

"Then we go in and get her!" Semyon snarled.

"The Day Watch offices are protected."

"Some sleazy nightclub? I can blast my way through!"

"Zavulon is well protected against you, Semyon Pavlovich."

Semyon sighed and nodded; he knew when Geser used his patronymic that he'd shown his emotions too much.

"I know sir," he replied.

Bear put a hand on his shoulder. "We'll rescue her Semyon you know that."

"You'll just have to endure the loneliness," Geser added.

"You should know that's a lot to ask of me," Semyon noted.

Geser nodded and turned to Vyacheslav.

"I'd like you to work with Nadya and Stingray," he explained. "I need you to check the Day Watch areas for any trace of Anna's energy or thought patterns. We need to find out exactly where Zavulon is holding her and with any luck, that should lead us to Vsevolod too."

"I can do that," Vyacheslav replied.

"The rest of you, I need you on standby for an emergency."

Geser left after that, teleporting back to his Headquarters. The others gradually left the Kremlin after him, Nadya and Vyacheslav being the first to leave; apparently after her split from the Day Watch, she now had the freedom to openly engage the Night Watch psychic. Semyon sighed and left with Anton and Stingray, his former pupil driving the van back to Anton's flat for the rest of the morning. It was a long night, and they were still coming to terms with the kidnap of their comrade.

Anton, Stingray and Semyon entered the small flat block, also inviting Kostya in when they got there. They sat around the kitchen table smoking, Semyon deciding to bring some vodka into the occasion. Stingray was watching his former mentor's energy carefully; it was beginning to diminish slightly and he realised it was due to Anna's absence rather than vodka. This man had become so deeply in love with his partner that to be without her was beginning to destroy him.

"Any ideas about Zavulon's motives?" Anton asked Kostya.

"What's happened?" the young Vampire queried.

"Vsevolod Kepalenko has been kidnapped by the Day Watch boss, and his daughter Anna has also been captured. Nadya tells us that there is a possibility Zavulon wants her in some sort of negotiation with Vsevolod. I was wondering if you had any ideas about what this could be."

"Well, Vsevolod hates his identity, doesn't he?"

Anton nodded.

"All I can think of is…" Kostya continued, pausing a little. "Is that Zavulon may offer Vsevolod to give up something in exchange for regaining his humanity. Maybe Anna just needs to be a proof for him or a witness to it; they're related after all. I'm only guessing, but Anna may be the exchange."

Semyon hung his head and drank more vodka.

"Sorry," Kostya added.

"Geser needs to know that," Stingray noted.

Anton glanced at Semyon, who was still drinking vodka.

"Should you?" he questioned.

The Magician sighed. "You're right."

He slammed the bottle down, his eyes looking a little blood shot and his skin pale. He really was badly affected by the kidnap of Anna, and he was beginning to loose sight of the problem.

"I cannot afford this," Semyon mumbled.

He pushed away the vodka bottle.

"I'd better go home for some rest," he added.

He got to his feet, but Stingray stopped him.

"Oh no you don't!" he said, sternly. "You're dead on your feet and certainly in no condition to drive. I'm not leaving you on your own in this state; you're spending the night at my flat out in the suburbs."

"Thanks Lev," Semyon replied.

"You need to keep focus."

"I miss her Lev. I need her."

"That I can see, now come on."

Anton swiped the vodka bottle off the table before Semyon could reach for it, staring at his friend pointedly. The Magician smiled weakly, bidding Anton and Kostya goodbye before leaving with Stingray. He sat in the passenger seat while his former pupil drove them slowly out to Stingray's flat in Lyubertsy. He sighed and watched the street lights flash past; they had to get Anna back safely and they would. Since when had he ever doubted the Night Watch would succeed? He was acting stupid; drinking was never the answer to anything. How many times had he told Anton that?

Stingray parked the van in a free space and turned off the engine, climbing out of the driver's seat. He helped Semyon, who was now quite drunk, out of the van and into the lift of the flat block. They staggered along the upper corridor, Stingray getting into his flat and introducing Semyon to the spare room.

"You're going to have to clean me up," Semyon told Stingray.

Stingray laughed. "Anton will remind you of this forever."

"I'm sure he will."


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Semyon had slept unevenly that night; not to do with the effects of vodka but due to Anna's absence. Stingray had done a nice job cleaning up the toxins in his body before he went to bed for a few hours before morning. But the loneliness of being without Anna was beginning to affect him. His mind kept wondering in and out of the Gloom, deciding upon whether the stay there forever. There was hope lingering while Nadya, Vyacheslav and Stingray were trying to find her, but he still couldn't help but wonder if he's lost her forever.

Stingray entered the spare room where Semyon was still sleeping; lying on his side and not making a sound. His former tutor had not stirred an inch during the night and his energies were still wondering in and out of the Gloom. Stingray sighed and shut the door; they needed to get to Anna quickly before Semyon gave up all hope of ever seeing her again. He picked up the phone and dialled Vyacheslav's number. Surprisingly, it was Nadya who replied.

"Lev," she greeted.

"Err… not Vyacheslav…?" Stingray trailed off, confused.

"He's entitled to visitors, isn't he?"

"Visitors, Nadya?"

There was a pause. "Yes."

Stingray laughed at her stern tone.

"I can see energy of the phone Nadya; you're blushing."

"Semyon's right, you do this too much."

"It's my best skill, you know that."

"You know that Vyacheslav and I have always wanted this."

"Of course!"

"Anyway, where are you?"

"I'm just leaving home now."

"Is Semyon still with you?"

"Yeah, he's sleeping. His energy is steady for now, but he keeps shifting into the Gloom. I'll feed him a little light and positive energy to keep him going while I'm at the Headquarters."

"Make sure he's alright, Lev."

"I'll catch up with you two on the metro."

Stingray put the phone down, slipping his mobile into his pocket. He looked in on Semyon again, switching on the light; it was a special kind of light crystal that Geser had given him to help treat injured Light Magicians. In this case, it would give Semyon some hope. Stingray left his flat, drawing his Gorsvet jacket around him as he stepped outside into the beautiful, cold Moscow winter. He walked down a few streets away and entered the Moscow station, following the usual lines he took for the Night Watch offices.

Ay the second change of station, he met up with Nadya and Vyacheslav. They grouped together and took the next train slightly out of the city centre. Surfacing, they walked round to the Gorsvet buildings and entered its ambient warmth. The atmosphere kept you at a personal level of warmth; for Stingray it was about 14°C, but he knew that for Anna it was usually 8°C. The three of them took the stairs up to Geser's office, leaving small puddles of melted snow behind them. As usual, Geser was in his office, sat at his desk and looking grave.

"I take it you haven't found her yet," Geser questioned.

"Of course not," Vyacheslav replied, sadly.

He sighed. "How's Semyon Lev?"

"Not coping well," Stingray replied.

"Did you use that light I gave you?"

"It was beginning to have some affect on him."

"That's what matters for now."

"But we need to her Anna back before he loses all hope."

"That might be difficult."

"I've spoken with Maxim," Nadya began. "The Inquisition cannot force Zavulon to give her back. Firstly, by the Truce, it is seen as the Day Watch's 'turn' and secondly, Zavulon is technically helping Vsevolod if he's offering assistance or negotiation."

"Kostya suggested something," Stingray added.

Geser glanced at him disapprovingly. "Your Vampire friend."

"Last night, Anton asked if Kostya knew any reason why Zavulon would need both Vsevolod and Anna. As a Vampire, he might have known. Anyway, he suggested that if Vsevolod were to become human, he would need to give up something important to Zavulon. He thinks Anna maybe the deal rather than the witness."

Vyacheslav sighed. "That may be the case."

"That is a possibility," Geser agreed.

"Can it be reversed?" asked Stingray.

"It can't be permanent, Lev. No matter what Zavulon does, Anna is a Light Magician and she has chosen Light. The only exchange that can take place is the use of her power only once and then she's set free. However, we must set her free from that before she can use her powers to do Evil; that will have a terrible affect on her."

"Is that is what's going to happen," Nadya cut in.

"True, we do not know this for sure," Vyacheslav agreed.

"We need to find out," Geser replied. "Before it's too late."

Nadya went to reply, but she was cut short as Semyon burst in through the office doors. He must have driven all the way over to the offices from Stingray's Lyubertsy flat to arrive in such good time. He looked flustered as Geser and the others turned to face him. He sat down at the long table.

"What is it Semyon?" asked the boss.

"He's had a vision," Vyacheslav replied. "The residue of it is left over in his mind and he's sweating. Semyon has always done that after a vision because he is not a properly trained Seer like Nadya or Anton."

They all turned to Semyon, who nodded.

"It woke me," he explained.

"What did you see?" asked Geser.

"I saw Anna. She's still alive, but not in control of her actions. No vortex, but she still has a curse. Then there was lightning; a massive storm of lightning over the city and Anna was being controlled to conjure it."

Vyacheslav and Geser glanced at each other.

"Zavulon," they agreed.

"My poor Anna," Semyon noted, sadly.

Stingray checked his friend's energy.

"That light and the vision did you some good," he stated. "It's nice to see you're back with us now. Your knowledge that Anna is still alive has brought your energy back to ground level. So long as we can get to Anna, you're safe from the Gloom and relatively back to normal."

"We can save her can't we?" Semyon questioned.

"You should know that we can," Geser told him, sharply

"Sorry sir, but it's hard for me. I miss her."

"Just think she's bound to feel the same."

---

Anna had been waiting a while at the Day Watch headquarters in a backroom. All she could here was the hum of an air conditioning unit, the clicking of a small radiator and the deep bass of dance music. As sure as she had been before, the Day Watch did have the sleazy nightclubs in their offices. They still echoed the evil feeling she had when she first came across them; the Dark Others of Moscow all had parts to play in that. How different they were at fitting in with the human race compared to the Night Watch.

Anna got to her feet and walked around, observing the walls but all the exits were locked. There were forcefields all around the place, not allowing her to see inside the building for an escape route. Even the electric circuits blocked her out. The building was protected by Dark Magic that she could never compete with. This was the work of Zavulon himself; the man who only Geser equalled.

Eventually, one of the fire escape doors opened and Zavulon came in first, followed closely by Yuri. Wolf came in last, who brought Vsevolod with him and slammed the door shut behind him. Vsevolod was in a bad state and looked like he's seen better days. Anna made a move to go over to her father, but Zavulon stopped her.

"We're not handing him over," he said, simply.

"Then I'll break out of here with him!" Anna snarled.

"Not likely. I've protected the exits myself and not even your beloved Semyon can rescue you."

"Geser can."

"But he doesn't know you're here."

He smirked, Anna glaring at him.

"You bastard," she muttered, dangerously.

"Please," Zavulon waved that off. "I haven't told you why you're here."

"You've always wanted me to turn Dark once you knew of my power."

"Yes. It's such a pity that we didn't appeal to you like we once did to your father."

"Thankfully she can see the Light," Vsevolod growled.

Zavulon smirked and turned to him.

"You've caused me much trouble," he began. "But I've finally come to realise that I can help you achieve your goals after all, even without Geser's help. I can give you back your humanity, Vsevolod Kepalenko."

"What must I give up to you?"

"Anything important to you."

"Like what?"

"Your job, your flat, your Moskvich, anything like that."

"But I can get a new job?"

"Yes. And a new flat, and a new Moskvich."

"You won't take those then?"

Zavulon shook his head. "Only what you have now. Will you give them up to me?"

Vsevolod sighed. "The most important things?"

"Yes."

"For humanity?"

You will by mortal; an Other and a Vampire no more."

"Then why do you need my daughter?"

"Just a witness to the procedure so that someone of the Light may inform the Inquisition that the deed with done fairly. All I need is for Anna to see that you were not forced into this."

Vsevolod turned to Anna.

"It's a gamble," he said.

"Are you willing to do this?" Anna asked. "Lose your job and your home?"

"I can finally leave my identity behind! Anyway, I'll still have you."

Vsevolod missed Zavulon's smirk.

"It's a fresh start for you," Anna smiled.

Vsevolod nodded and turned back to Zavulon.

"Everything important to me," he told him. "My job, my flat, my car; it's yours."

Zavulon smiled. "Thank you."

As Yuri stepped forwards, Anna began to sense that something wasn't right. If Zavulon wanted her to witness this, why didn't he just ask her and the Day Watch politely? Why did he need to kidnap her, because the Watch may have agreed? She watched the energy of Vsevolod dissipate not only into the Gloom, but into the control of Zavulon. Everything Vsevolod had that was important to him was being taken, and Anna realised that herself had been eased into the bargain. But that was without Vsevolod's knowledge or consent, and neither he nor she could do anything about it. Anna felt dizzy; there was nothing left she could do. She had been a little confused by the thick Gloom of the Kremlin and that prevented her from predicting Zavulon's moves. Her mind and power would be in the hands of Darkness for one turn during the battle between Good and Evil. No one, not even Boris Ignatovich Geser could know this as she began to daze out into darkness.

"You only have her for one use," Yuri explained.

"That's why I need you," Zavulon replied.

"For what boss?"

"I don't want her."

There was a pause.

"I see," Yuri said, slowly.

"Anna's made her choice; I need someone who hasn't."

Then Anna head no more as she slipped into unconsciousness.

---

During the cold winter evening, Tiger Cub was outside her flat, fiddling around with the engine of her motorbike while Bear was sat on the wall drinking beer. Semyon came walking down the road towards them with a thick, black coat on over his Gorsvet gear and his yellow van parked further back. Tiger Cub saw him walking over and stood up, using some snow to wash the oil and grease off her hands. Bear got down off the wall and put his bottle of beer down into a snow drift, approaching Semyon and laying a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Are you holding out?" he asked.

"As well as I can," Semyon replied.

"Geser's still on the look out."

"If I had Zavulon's strength, I'd kill him."

Semyon leaned back against the wall.

"Where was Anna going with the lightning storm?" asked Tiger Cub.

"If only I'd kept hold of her in the Kremlin," Semyon replied, hanging his head and ignoring Tiger Cub's question. "I should have gone and found her straight the way and left Stingray to deal with Fox, and Anton is perfectly capable of fending off Vladimir. I could have found her and Zavulon would not have been able to take her away from me."

"Semyon."

Tiger Cub lifted up his head.

"Come back Semyon," she told him.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled.

"The lightning; where was she taking it?"

"I don't know, I didn't see that much."

"You know Anna," Bear noted. "How would she conjure the lightning storm?"

"By now with full power, she could create the lightning storm herself. But, from what I understand, if a Light Magician is forced under the control of a Dark Magician, they are limited. I imagine, from the strength of the storm that I saw, Anna would have to charge herself from a power station or something like…"

Before he could finish, the lights around them suddenly drained for a moment, plunging the street into darkness. All they could see was the two orange lights rotating on top of Semyon's van down the road. Not long after, the lights came back on and the street was flooding with light again and back to normal. None of the residents seemed to take any notice of it.

"Damn faulty power grids," Bear grumbled.

"Is that normal?" Semyon queried.

"Oh yeah."

He wasn't convinced. "Are you sure?"

"Of course," Tiger Cub replied. "It always happened around here. Anatoly lives in that flat across the road and he complains about the power grid messing up his computers. I think one of the generators supplying electricity to this part of the area is affected by winter a bit more than the others."

"Nothing to worry about then."

"Not at all."

Bear picked up his phone as it rang.

"Bear, it's Anatoly," was the answer.

"What now?" Bear replied.

"Has there been a power cut in our area?"

"Yeah, why?"

"That was not an ordinary one like we always get. Ever since Semyon had that vision about the lightning, Geser's asked my to check for unusual electrical surges throughout the city power grids and stations. We've just had one in the power grid connecting our area and the drain was now caused by a snow drift."

"So someone has drained it."

"Exactly!"

"Like a badly made high voltage appliance."

"I don't think so Bear. I've just put up Rambler and the MET Office has just picked up on the beginnings of a small thunder storm. It's building up in central Moscow but they haven't identified any mysterious weather systems. You know this kind of weather is not normal for winter."

"Looks like it's started."

Bear looked up at the sky, watching the thick mass of black cloud coming up over the sky scrapers. A deep rumble of thunder sounded overhead, setting some crows off cawing in a tree.

"Where's that storm heading Anatoly?" asked Bear.

"You're not going to like this," Anatoly replied.

"We need to get there pronto."

"It's heading towards where our offices are."

"Crap."

"Geser will meet you outside."

Bear put the phone down just as a small fork of lightning lit up the black skies. People had begun poking their heads out of the windows to see what was going on; this weather was never seen in the winter. They couldn't understand that a Light Magician was making this happen. Bear took Tiger Cub's hand, following Semyon's lead back over to the Gorsvet truck.

"Where's it going?" Semyon queried.

"Gorsvet," Bear replied.

"I take it the hackers don't think it's a normal storm."

"Since when have you seen thunder storms in winter?"

"True."

"Could Anna have created this?" asked Tiger Cub.

Semyon looked up as another huge flash of forked lightning streaked across the sky, followed by a loud explosion of thunder. The electrical discharge had set off some car and burglar alarms.

"Yes," he replied, simply.

He climbed into the driver's side of the van, Bear and Tiger Cub joining him in the passenger seat. They drove off quickly towards the Gorsvet headquarters, the dark clouds following them. It had all the markings of a conjured electrical storm; the obvious join between the clouds, the lack of proper weather conditions and at the wrong time of year. There was no snow falling from the black clouds, not even hail, but there was snow falling from the usual grey clouds. Semyon parked the van in his space outside the offices, the rest of the team standing there with Geser. The three of them got out and joined them.

"It's coming," Tiger Cub observed.

"Was this in your vision Semyon?" asked Nadya.

"Yes," Semyon replied.

"Then what Stingray's friend Kostya said was true. Zavulon somehow forced Vsevolod to give up Anna to him in return for humanity. And this is how Zavulon will use this power given to him; he's going to make Anna burn the Night Watch to the ground."

"He can't do that can he?" Anton asked.

"He can't use Anna to destroy the Light," Geser explained. "But he can use her to temporarily disarm the Light of their headquarters. Can the Inquisition do anything at all to stop this?"

They all looked at Nadya.

"No," she said. "We cannot choose Light or Dark."

"Then we shall do it ourselves."

A black car pulled up just behind Semyon's yellow van; the Day Watch had arrived at the scene. Piotr and Alisa got out of it, followed by Zavulon who left the car door open.

"You bastard!" Semyon snarled.

Bear and Anton restrained him from running forwards.

"Stand down," Geser warned.

"He took Anna!" Semyon exclaimed. "He'll pay."

"Don't risk it Semyon Pavlovich."

Zavulon smirked and turned to Geser.

"I'll honour the second part of the deal," he said. "You may have Vsevolod Kepalenko now I have released him from the side of the Dark. He's now only a human aged 41 years."

He reached back inside the car and grabbed a man by the collar of his jacket. He pulled out Vsevolod and pushed him to the ground at Stingray's feet. The young Magician looked at Vsevolod's energy. Zavulon was speaking the truth; the former Vampire was now only human.

"I'm sorry Semyon," Vsevolod sobbed.

"Get him in the van," Geser ordered.

Semyon and Stingray took Vsevolod between them and dragged him over to the yellow van, Anton and Vyacheslav following. Geser turned back t Zavulon, who smirked at his nemesis.

"It cannot be undone!" he proclaimed.

"We'll find a way," Geser assured him.

"Your young Magician is mine for one purpose."

"You cannot destroy the Light this way."

"You overestimate me, Boris. I only want to hurt you deeply."

"Should we evacuate?" asked Ignat.

"Maybe you should," Piotr agreed.

"Never!" Geser snarled. "I'll not give in to you."

Anton had helped get Vsevolod inside the yellow van. The thunder was on top of them now and the snow had suddenly ceased to fall. Vyacheslav stood watch outside, seeing a bright electric blue glow coming from one of the streets. The centre of the storm was reaching its target very quickly. Semyon turned to Vsevolod, who was still trying to control his sobs.

"How did Zavulon do it?" Semyon asked.

"I'm sorry," Vsevolod sobbed.

"I know. How?"

"I didn't think he meant Anna, but it seems so obvious to me now. Zavulon asked me to give up all I valued in my life for humanity; he only suggested my job, my flat and my little Moskvich. Instead he took all of it and Anna."

"Do you know how to release her?" Anton questioned.

"The object of the curse needs to die," Stingray replied.

"You remembered!" Semyon noted.

"I remember you teaching me that, Semyon Pavlovich," Stingray began. "In any curse, to lift it, the object of the curse must die if it is not the Magician himself. It's not Zavulon, so who is it?"

"Me," Vsevolod replied.

"I suppose in this case it would be."

"Then I have to die."

"Is there another way?" asked Anton.

"Kill the Magician," Stingray replied.

"That's not possible."

"Then it cannot be done," Semyon explained. "There are only three possible solutions to this. Kill Zavulon, Vsevolod or Anna if you cannot wait for the curse to expire. Seeing as that would be the end of Gorsvet, then that is not an option."

"She's coming," Vyacheslav cut in.

Semyon, Stingray and Anton got out of the van and joined Vyacheslav, looking in the direction he had indicated. Down the street, Anna was walking slowly towards them; her palms outstretched either side of her as she controlled the storm. Semyon shuddered; he remembered that from his visions. The way Anna moved without control herself. She was under the influence of the Dark and Semyon could feel her energy crying out to be saved.

"Don't run to her," Vyacheslav warned.

"She wants to be set free," Semyon replied.

"Resist the urge to go to her; you'll die."

"We have to do something."

"You cannot!" Zavulon laughed. "Finally, I can actually win at a battle between Light and Dark! I've found a way to disable the Night Watch and this time, not even the great Geser can stop me! You have can have Anna afterwards, for I can take something even better than that."

"Perhaps not Zavulon," Vsevolod replied.

Everyone turned round to watch as Vsevolod clambered out of the Gorsvet van; he'd lost a lot of grace since becoming human again. He turned to watch as his daughter approached the Night Watch headquarters with the lightning storm, controlled by the Dark. He smiled and turned to face the Day Watch.

"There is a way to end this," he continued.

"You cannot," Alisa snarled.

"You have not won. Yes, one way to end this madness is to kill the Magician who controls Anna, which is Lord Zavulon. Or Anna can be killed by the Night Watch, which is also an impossibility because only Semyon can agree to that. However, those two answers aren't the only ones; the object can be destroyed."

"Not possible," Piotr replied.

"You won't be destroyed," Zavulon replied, harshly. "The Day Watch will not do it and the Night Watch is not allowed to kill humans. You are now human and neither side will kill you."

"That is true," Vsevolod agreed. "But there's another way."

"Don't do this Vsevolod," Semyon stated.

"I must, my friend. I am human and I now have the right to take my own life. By sacrificing myself, I can save Gorsvet and my daughter. I have nothing left to live for; I'm human and I've only got around 40 years left. As a human I can choose between life and death; something I could not do as a Vampire."

Anna was now dangerously close to the offices.

"For my daughter," Vsevolod finished. "For the Light. I choose death."

There was a gigantic fork of lightning followed by five or more branches radiating out from the centre of the storm. It all came with a giant explosion of thunder that even made the side panels on Semyon's van reverberate. Vsevolod withdrew a long knife from his belt; one he used to cut the meet he bought from Kostya's father. He raised it out in front of him, the Night Watch only able to stand there and observe. By the law of the Truce, they could not interfere with humans.

With only a faint glimmer of hesitation, Vsevolod plunged the blade into his heart. As he called out in pain, the lightning shot out from the centre of the storm above Anna's head, she faltering in her stride. Vsevolod collapsed to the street floor, his blood spilling out and staining the snow red. Stingray rushed to his side and knelt down besides him, taking his head in his hands.

"I'll ease your pain," he stated.

"I can feel," Vsevolod sighed. "I can actually feel."

The thought was enough to astound a man who had been capable of feeling anything for over 100 years.

"I can feel pain…" he murmured. "I'm dying."

"I can ease it for you," Stingray replied.

"I can't say a like it, but I am not afraid."

Zavulon watched helplessly as Vsevolod's breathing slowed, Stingray easing the dying man's pain. The General of the Darkness looked up at Anna, whose eyes were now open. Her face wore an expression of shock and she looked up in wonder at the lightning storm flashing on above her.

"No!" Zavulon exclaimed.

"What am I doing here?" Anna's voice sounded afraid.

"Don't release your energy yet," Semyon told her.

She looked at Semyon and smiled. "My loyal Semyon. I knew you'd rescue me."

"Yes, but at a cost my love."

Sighing, he stepped aside and revealed Vsevolod, who had passed away into death with the help of Stingray, his body still bleeding. Anna's expression became one of sorrow, but she knew that had to be done.

"I shall release the storm!" Anna proclaimed.

She lifted her arms into the air and released all of her charged electrical energy into the sky. With one, massive fork and a blast of thunder, the branching discharge of electricity struck a part of Moscow. Alisa's face became angry, Zavulon beginning to cower away from defeat.

"My headquarters!" the Witch cried.

"A price you pay for this," Anna snarled.

"And now you'll pay the final price."

Anna recoiled slightly from that.

"I summon the second deed upon you!"

There was a violent flash of dark green light and the Day Watch vanished, including their car. Anna stumbled and fell into the snow by the road side, completely drained of electrical energy. Semyon immediately ran to her side and knelt down next to her. He lifted her body up against his and held her tightly and closely, burying his face into her neck.

"How I've missed you," he murmured.

"What did Alisa mean?" Stingray asked. "The second deed?"

"I don't know," Geser replied.

"It's not over yet," Vyacheslav replied. "I can sense physically the beginnings of another curse forming around Anna. Not a visible curse like a Black Vortex, but one that will make its mark upon her sometime in the future. How and when, I am not certain."

"I'll find out," Semyon replied.

"I don't know if you can Semyon."

"I will not allow any more harm to come of Anna."

Geser nodded. "We'll check on her in the morning."

From there, the Light Ones disbanded, Nadya vanishing into the Gloom to discuss the matter with the Inquisition. It was highly possible that they could do nothing about the problem, but Semyon asked her to do so. Semyon picked up Anna and carried her back to the van, lying her down on the passenger seat, still unconscious. He drove them home, noticing that she was slowly beginning to wake. Still drained, Anna just about managed to get out of the van, but Semyon carried her the rest of the way into his flat up the lift. He carried her into the bedroom and sat her down on the bed, allowing her to use him for support because she was still off balance.

"Are you alright?" he asked her.

She nodded.

"I'm sorry about Vsevolod," he noted.

Anna smiled slightly, her face expression sorrow over her father's death, but she knew it had to end that way. She drew herself closer to Semyon, putting her arms about him and resting her head against his chest.

"What did Alisa mean?" Semyon asked.

She didn't reply.

"Do you know?" he queried again.

She sighed and sat up against him, taking his round, podgy face in her hands. She smiled at him fondly and gently stroked his stubble. The kiss she gave to him clearly expressed how she's missed him and Semyon instantly understood.

"No talking eh?" he asked.

Anna smiled and nodded.

"Then no talking until morning," he added.


End file.
